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An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced four men to death for their involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a businessman, bringing to a close one of the most disturbing criminal cases in the history of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area.
The convicts — Marvelous Ndah (38), Anthony Anthony Akpan (37), Aniema Eshiet (34), and Onyebule Gift Ogbonna (41) — were found guilty of abducting and killing Mr Chijioke Anyanwu, an Anambra State–born businessman and proprietor of Jon KAMSY Supermarket in Ikot Abasi.
The four men were members of a nine-man kidnapping syndicate that terrorised communities in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, and neighbouring parts of Rivers State.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, Justice Archibong Archibong held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicting the defendants on charges of conspiracy and kidnapping under the relevant provisions of Akwa Ibom State laws.
The court heard that on January 25, 2016, the convicts abducted Mr Anyanwu in front of his residence in Ikot Abasi. Although the kidnappers later collected a ₦3 million ransom from his family, the victim did not survive captivity. His remains were discovered months later and subsequently buried in his hometown of Agulu, Anambra State. He was survived by his widow and four children.
Two other defendants — Uche Success Nwokocha and Chidi Christian Nwokoma — who were standing trial alongside the convicts, were discharged and acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking them to the crime.
Evidence before the court also detailed the gang’s involvement in other kidnapping incidents, including the abduction of a female lecturer of Akwa Ibom State University in April 2016, for which a ransom was collected before she was released.
Investigations by the Department of State Services (DSS) led to the arrest of Marvelous Ndah, whose confession helped security agencies dismantle the syndicate and arrest other members.
In his judgment, Justice Archibong expressed hope that the ruling would serve as a strong deterrent against violent crimes in the state, describing the case as a reminder of the devastating impact of kidnapping on families and communities.
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