Soldier Sentenced to Death for Murdering Man Who Gave Him a Lift.
Nigerian Army Corporal, Stephen Iweh, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the cold-blooded murder of a man who offered him a lift in 2021. The ruling by Justice Nkanang of the Uyo High Court brings a somber close to a tragic story of betrayal and violence.
The incident dates back to 2021, when 42-year-old Christopher Enobong Jimmy, a manager at a clearing and forwarding company in Port Harcourt, played the good Samaritan. He offered a ride to Corporal Iweh from the Trailer Park in Onne, Rivers State, destined for Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom. Tragically, this act of kindness would cost him his life.
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Upon reaching Oboro Junction in Ikot Abasi, the 39-year-old soldier, a father of three, turned on his benefactor. He shot Mr. Jimmy dead, fled with the victim’s Grey Toyota Matrix car and other valuables, and went into hiding.
A swift investigation led police to trace Corporal Iweh to Andy Guest House in Ukanafun, located many kilometers from the crime scene, where he was arrested. The murder weapon, an AK-47 rifle, was recovered. During the investigation, it was revealed that Iweh had illegally possessed the firearm, which he claimed to have “picked at Dambou, Borno State in 2018 and decided to keep it as personal arms.”
The court delivered its verdict on a three-count charge, finding Iweh guilty on all counts. The sentence was decisive: death by hanging for the murder of Christopher Jimmy, death by hanging for armed robbery, and an additional 10 years imprisonment for the unlawful possession of firearms.
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The conviction offers a measure of legal closure but cannot erase the loss suffered by the victim’s family. Christopher Jimmy is survived by his 34-year-old widow, Arit, who had previously recounted through tears how her husband left Port Harcourt to visit his sister and family in Ikot Abasi, never to return home.
