Suspected killer of Iniubong Umoren, Uduak Akpan, pleads not guilty

On Thursday, the first accused in the murder of Iniubong Umoren, one Uduak Akpan, a 20-year-old undergraduate, reversed his position and pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of murder and rape brought against him by Akwa Ibom State.

Uduak Akpan is on trial for the gruesome murder of Iniubong Umoren, a University of Uyo Philosophy graduate, whom he lured, raped, and murdered on April 29, this year under the guise of offering her a job.

When he was first arraigned in July before Justice Bennett Illaumoh, who was transferred from Uyo to Itu Judicial Division, the first accused pleaded guilty to murder.

Frank Akpan, a retired Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Health, and his sister, Bassey Anwan Akpan, a graduate of English Language and Literary Studies, pleaded not guilty to the two counts of accessory after the fact and harboring the first accused in order to avoid punishment knowing that he murdered Iniubong Umoren.

The new trial judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, heard the plea as the Chairman of the state's Uruan Local Government, Surveyor Iniobong Ekpeyong, and his cousin, Kufre Effiong, both prosecution witnesses in the case, testified in court.

Surveyor Ekpenyong testified in court about his role in assisting the arrest of the first defendant, who happens to be his cousin.

He said he found out about Iniubong Umoren's murder after seeing a social media post stating that Mr Frank Akpan, the second accused and father of the first accused, had been arrested by the police.

Ekpenyong claimed he received calls from various sources pleading with him to intervene because the second accused person was suffering from a medical condition that required immediate treatment.

According to the chairman, he summoned one of his cousins, Kufre Effiong, and the DPO of Uruan LGA to his Ewet Housing residence, where the first accused admitted to killing the jobseeker by striking her with an object.

Justice Bassey Nkanang, who adjourned the case until Monday, November 15, 2021, promised to hold an accelerated hearing in order to reach a decision by Easter 2022.