NIGERIA: COURT HANDS DEATH PENALTY TO 33-YEAR-OLD FOR ROBBERY, SEXUAL ASSAULT IN CROSS RIVER

January 21, 2026:

A High Court of Cross River State sitting in Calabar has sentenced a 33-year-old man, Okon Effiong, to death for armed robbery, rape and aggravated assault, The Guardian reported on January 21, 2026.
Justice Blessing Egwu delivered the judgment after holding that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Effiong was convicted over an armed robbery attack carried out on April 27, 2024, along Mount Zion Street in Calabar South Local Council, during which a woman and two minors were sexually assaulted and valuables stolen.
The court ruled that the offences were aggravated by the circumstances of the attack and the degree of harm inflicted on the victims, warranting the maximum punishment prescribed by law.
Effiong was arrested alongside another suspect by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Cross River State Police Command. The accomplice later died in custody, while three other suspects linked to the incident are said to be at large.
Reacting to the judgment, the Director of Public Prosecution in the state, Okoi Ukam, said the conviction underscored the government’s resolve to prosecute violent and sexual offences without compromise. “Deterrence remains central to the handling of cases of this nature. The era of treating such matters lightly is over,” Ukam said.
He attributed the successful prosecution, led by Joseph Akpajung, to the leadership of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ededem Ani, noting that prosecutors were encouraged to pursue cases diligently despite pressures.
Ukam also commended the Cross River State Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police Rashid Afegbua, particularly its gender unit, for its investigative efforts.
Principal counsel of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, James Ibor, said the court acted in line with established sentencing guidelines, noting that the offences went beyond armed robbery because of the additional harm suffered by the victims.
Following the judgment, Effiong expressed remorse and described the sentence as excessive. His counsel, Bassey Otop, of the Centre for Citizens’ Rights and the Office of the Public Defender, said an appeal would be filed.