The Akwa Ibom State High Court in Essien Udim has sentenced Uwakmfon Isaac Jonah, a 36-year-old mother of four, to life in prison. The court found her guilty of the attempted murder of a 12-year-old girl.
Justice Winifred Effiong presided over the case and delivered the ruling on June 25. The defendant, who works as a hairdresser and is a divorcee from Ikot Obong, was charged under Section 276 of the Akwa Ibom State Criminal Code.
On July 20, 2023, the victim was hawking pepper at Urua Akpan Market when Jonah approached her. The defendant misled the child by claiming a customer in a nearby bush wanted to buy the girl’s produce. Once in a secluded area, the victim testified that Jonah gagged her, used a knife to inflict deep wounds on her neck and eye, and then fled the scene.
During the trial, Jonah admitted to taking the girl to the bush but claimed she passed the child to an unknown woman. The court dismissed this explanation as entirely unsubstantiated. Justice Effiong highlighted the gravity of the attack, noting that inflicting a deep cut on a victim’s neck demonstrates a clear intent to kill, regardless of the child’s survival.
Despite a plea for leniency from the defense, the judge stated that life imprisonment is the mandatory penalty under the law for attempted murder. Consequently, Jonah was sentenced to remain in confinement for the duration of her life.
