By Micah Jonah
January 17, 2026
The judgment delivered by the Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo brings painful closure to a case that has troubled the conscience of the Itoko community for nearly a decade, underscores that justice, though delayed, can still be served.
The court has sentenced 38 year old Anwanga Effiong Udofia to death for the murder of a nine year old pupil of Lutheran Primary School, Itoko, in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.
The incident occurred on December 6, 2016, at Nung Oku Akpasima village in Ibesikpo Asutan, when the victim, Aniekan Idongesit Edet, a Primary Five pupil, was on his way to school.
Court records showed that Udofia, a native of Itoko village, pursued the young pupil, attacked him, leading to fatal injuries.
A friend of the deceased, a Primary Four pupil at the time, told the court that on their way to school that morning, he saw the accused chasing Aniekan near the school area. He said teachers had not yet arrived at the school when the incident happened and that he ran away in fear.
The following day, children who went to fetch firewood reportedly discovered the body of the boy still in his school uniform.
Udofia was charged with murder contrary to Section 326 subsection 1 of the Criminal Code, Volume 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State.
During the trial, the prosecution called four witnesses and tendered five exhibits to establish its case, while the defendant also testified in his own defence.
In delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Hon Justice Archibong Archibong, held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He found the defendant guilty as charged and sentenced him according to the law.
The ruling stands as a reminder that the lives of children matter and that violence against the most vulnerable must never be treated lightly, even as the community continues to bear the weight of a loss that cannot be undone.
