Justice Bassey Nkanang of the Akwa Ibom State High Court on Thursday sentenced Uduak Akpan to death by hanging for the murder of Iniubong Umoren.

Umoren, a graduate of Philosophy, University of Uyo, was killed on April 2021. She was job hunting while awaiting mobilisation for the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. Late Iniubong Umoren was raped, murdered and buried in a shallow grave by a suspected serial rapist and killer, Uduak-Abasi Akpan, in April 2021.

Uduak-Abasi Akpan had lured 26-year-old Iniubong, to his family residence at Nung Ikono Obio village in Uruan local government area with a job offer where he had allegedly raped, murdered, and buried her in a shallow grave within the premises. The body was later exhumed from the shallow grave by the Police team, who were guided by the prime suspect.

Recall that the remains of late Iniubong Umoren were interred in her hometown at Nung Ita Ikot Essien of Oruk Anam local government area of Akwa Ibom State, on May 14, 2021, after a postmortem carried out by the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH). The deceased, an orphan and the last child of family of four, was raised by one Mrs. Ime Ekpo, following the demise of her biological mother when She was only two years old.