On Thursday, July 24, 2025, the Akwa Ibom State High Court in Uyo delivered a landmark judgment, sentencing a dismissed soldier, Lance Corporal Promise Okokon Usoro, and his accomplice, Odinaka Emmanuel Victor, to de@th by hanging for armed robbery.
The ruling, presided over by Justice Archibong Archibong, concluded a 12-year legal battle stemming from a series of armed robberies targeting tricycle operators in the state capital.
Lance Corporal Usoro, a 41-year-old native of Ikot Osom in Abak Local Government Area, was previously dismissed from the Nigerian Army’s 6 Battalion at Ibagwa Barracks following a court-martial for his involvement in criminal activities.
Alongside Victor, a 32-year-old from Osisioma in Abia State, Usoro was found guilty of robbing tricycle operators at gunpoint in Uyo.
The court established that on February 10, 2013, Usoro, armed with an AK-47 rifle, robbed Peter Daniel Okon of his tricycle along Idoro Road.
Four days later, on February 14, 2013, Victor, in the company of Usoro, robbed another victim, Anyanwu Chidi Francis, along Ikot Ekpene Road, also using an AK-47.
In their confessional statements, both convicts admitted to participating in at least three armed robbery operations targeting tricyclists in Uyo, alongside an accomplice identified only as “JJ,” who remains at large.
Usoro confessed to receiving ₦50,000 from the sale of one stolen tricycle facilitated by JJ. The prosecution, presenting airtight evidence, proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to the conviction of the duo.
A third defendant, Ndifreke Udo, a 37-year-old from Odoro Ikot in Essien Udim Local Government Area, was discharged and acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking him to the crimes.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Archibong emphasized the severity of the offenses, noting the threat posed to public safety by the convicts’ actions.
The death sentence, he stated, serves as a deterrent to others engaging in similar criminal activities.The case has sparked discussions on the prevalence of armed robbery in urban centers and the role of dismissed security personnel in such crimes.
Local residents and tricycle operators in Uyo have expressed relief at the verdict, citing the fear instilled by the spate of robberies in 2013.
However, some have raised concerns about the lengthy judicial process, which spanned over a decade, calling for reforms to expedite justice delivery.
The sentencing is a proof to the judiciary’s commitment to tackling violent crime in Akwa Ibom, as authorities continue efforts to apprehend the remaining accomplice and curb similar incidents in the state.
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