Akaninyene Thomas Okpon, 29, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the brutal murder of his elder brother, Friday Thomas Enyenokpon, whom he accused of bewitching his life and causing his misfortunes. The chilling verdict was delivered Thursday, July 11, 2025, by Justice Okon Okon at the Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo.
The murder, which shocked the community of Ikot Abasi Asutan in Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, occurred on April 8, 2018. Akaninyene, a father of three and primary three dropout, alongside another brother, the late Ime Thomas Okpon (who died in custody before the trial concluded), ambushed and gruesomely killed Friday in a farmland known as “Usung Atan,” beheaded him, and buried the severed head separately from the body.
The court established that the defendant had threatened to eliminate the deceased and other family members in the past, accusing them of spiritual manipulation. The prosecution, led by the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice, proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, using Akaninyene’s confessional statement and physical evidence, including the recovery of the corpse at the crime scene led by the convict himself.
Justice Okon, in Suit No. HU/5C/2019, ruled that the evidence showed premeditated murder motivated by superstition and hate. The judge described the act as “heinous, cold-blooded, and utterly wicked,” affirming that the punishment must reflect the gravity of the crime and deter similar future acts driven by unfounded spiritual paranoia.
“The sentence of this Court upon you, Akaninyene Thomas Okpon, is that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead,” Justice Okon declared solemnly. The court also ordered that the two machetes used in the murder, marked Exhibits 1–1A, be forfeited to the state.
The case highlights ongoing issues around harmful cultural beliefs and jungle justice in some Nigerian communities. Legal experts and rights activists have called for increased public education to address the consequences of using superstition to justify violent crimes.
As the verdict circulates, many across the state are reacting strongly on social media, with some praising the justice system while others decry the deep-rooted cultural ignorance that led to the crime.
