A Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar has sentenced a 33-year-old man, Okon Ekpo Effiong, to death after finding him guilty of rape, aggravated assault and armed robbery.
The judgment was delivered on Monday by Justice Blessing Egwu, who held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Effiong was convicted over his involvement in an armed robbery attack during which a woman and two children were sexually assaulted by him and other accomplices.
The offences were said to have been committed on April 27, 2024, along Mount Zion Street in Calabar South Local Government Area, where valuables were also reportedly stolen.
In passing sentence, the court ruled that the gravity of the offences and the aggravated circumstances surrounding the attack justified the maximum punishment prescribed by law.
Effiong and one of his accomplices, who later died in custody, were arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Cross River State Police Command.
Speaking after the judgment, the Principal Counsel of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, James Ibor, said the court relied on established sentencing guidelines, noting that the combination of armed robbery and sexual violence made the crime particularly severe.
The convict, who expressed regret over his actions, is expected to appeal the judgment, while his counsel, Bassey Otop, confirmed that necessary steps would be taken to challenge the ruling at the appellate courts.
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