Kingsley Eyo was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Akwa Ibom High Court at Okoita in the Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area for abducting Godnews Essien, a six-year-old boy.

Eyo, 34, who hailed from Ikot Otoinyie village in the Uruan Local Government Area, was convicted on Monday by Justice Okon Okon, having been found guilty by the court.

According to one source, the convict and another had abducted the boy while he was running an errand for his mom in Ikot Otoinyie village. Uruan.

He had pleaded guilty to the charges, which led to a full trial, with the prosecution team of the state Ministry of Justice. Comfort Udo, the Assistant Director of Prosecutions was leading the prosecution and calling three witnesses.

Four exhibits were also presented by the prosecution, including the September 20, 2018 police investigation report and the confessional statements of a convict where he admitted that he was a human trader at N80,000.

“The money that we sold Goodnews for is with Denis Joshua (accomplice). My percentage of that money was N80,000. Yes, myself, Joshua went to a native doctor, Cletus, from Ikot Akpa Ekong village in the Uruan Local Government Area to do a charm in order to hide it from people,” the convict said in his statement.

Delivering 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, scrutinized 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 (PW1).”

“I have also taken into consideration the relationship of the defendant with PW1 and the 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 Eyo, is sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.”

That's inhumane....
Modern slavery