A man, identified as Kingsley Etim Eyo, aged 34, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Akwa Ibom State High Court in Okoita, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of the state, for abducting his six-year-old cousin, Goodnews Essien.
The convict sold the six-year-old boy in 2018 and he has not been found till date.
Eyo, who is a native of Ikot Otoinyie village in Uruan Local Government Area, reportedly connived with his friend to carry out the act.
Justice Okon Okon, in his ruling noted stated that the convict kidnapped his cousin from the custody of his mother when she sent him to buy garri in Ikot Otoinyie Village, Uruan.
The prosecution of the convict, who pleaded not guilty earlier, was headed by Barrister Comfort Udo, an assistant director of prosecution from the Ministry of Justice.
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While calling three witnesses, the prosecution also tendered four exhibits, including the Police Investigation Report, dated 20th September 2018, and the confessional statements of the convict in which he admitted that his percentage from the human trafficking of the child was N80,000.
Part of the confessional statement read, “The money that we sold Goodnews [for] is with Joshua. My percentage of that money is N80,000. Yes, myself, Denis Joshua went to a native doctor, Cletus from Ikot Akpa Ekong village in Uruan Local Government Area to do charm in order to hide it from people.”
Delivering his judgment, Justice Okon said, “I have thoroughly and meticulously read and reflected on the entirety of the extrajudicial statements of the defendant and have appraised, scrutinised and evaluated same with the evidence of prosecution witnesses and I can infer that the defendant worked in close collaboration with his friends and cohorts in taking away Goodnews Kufre Essien from the custody of his mother, the PW1.
“I have also taken into consideration the relationship of the defendant with PW1 (his aunt) and the child victim in this case. The defendant betrayed and compromised his close relationship with PW1 and her abducted child who according to the defendant calls him ‘Uncle.’
“The prosecution has, beyond reasonable doubt, proved the guilt of the defendant for child abduction as charged and I, therefore, find the defendant guilty. The defendant, Kingsley Etim Eyo is sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.”