A Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar has convicted Okon Effiong, 33 years old, of aggravated assault, rape and armed robbery and sentenced him to death.

The ruling was delivered on Monday by Justice Blessing Egwu after finding the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The court heard that Effiong and four others carried out an armed robbery attack on April 27, 2024, along Mount Zion Street in Calabar South Local Government Area. During the attack, the suspects allegedly gang-raped a woman and two children and took valuables from the scene.

Effiong was apprehended by the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police, Cross River State Command. One of his alleged accomplices later died while in custody.

Justice Blessing Egwu sentenced Effiong to death after the prosecution convinced the court of the evidence against him. The judge said the legal threshold for conviction was met, leading to the sentence.

The court also ruled that Effiong may appeal his conviction up to the Supreme Court, as provided under Nigerian law.

James Ibor, principal counsel of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), which monitored the trial, explained why the death sentence was chosen despite public campaigns against capital punishment. He said the severity of the crimes influenced the choice of sentence.

Effiong told the court he regretted his actions and considered the death sentence excessive.

Effiong’s defence lawyer, Bassey Otop, assigned from the Centre for Citizens’ Rights and Office of the Public Defender, said the judgement would be appealed in the higher courts.

One of the victims, whose name was withheld for legal and privacy reasons, said her memory of the attack still hurts. She added that she felt some relief knowing the convict was in custody.

She said, “I am happy and I thank everyone who ensured this came to pass. I thank my brother, the prosecutor who handled this case well.

All of you and those who kept watch so that it does not go sideways, I thank you all. I am happy, but there isn’t much I can say now than I hope the rest are caught too.”

Effiong’s legal team will pursue appeal options at higher courts, including the Court of Appeal and possibly the Supreme Court, to challenge the conviction or sentence.

Investigations continue into the broader circumstances of the April 2024 attack and the other alleged suspects linked to the case.