Ini Umoren’s killer Uduak Akpan defiant as court sentences him to death
Uduak Frank Akpan, arrested and arraigned before the Akwa Ibom State High Court, was on Thursday, August 4, 2022 sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of the murder of Iniubong Umoren.
The court, however, found his father, Frank Akpan, and sister, Bassey Anwan, innocent and acquitted them.
According to eyewitnesses, Akpan attempted to flee from the court shortly after the guilty verdict but was apprehended by correctional officers.
The news of the court judgement was greeted with approval by Nigerians on social media as the whole incident, from the kidnap of Umoren to the suspicion and arrest of Akpan played out on Twitter.
How it started
A Twitter user, Umoh Uduak, who claimed to be Umoren’s friend, sent out a tweet on Thursday calling for help for her friend whom she said had gone missing.
Tweeting with the handle, @UmohUduak, she wrote: “Y’all my friend @HinyHumoren is in trouble and she needs our help. I’m currently in Lagos and I can’t help than to put this out there. Earlier today, she told me she was going for a job interview at airport road which is quite far from her house.”
She added that Umoren sent her a one-second voice note on WhatsApp which suggests she was in danger.
“I had to call her back to know if she wanted to say something to me but immediately I called her. I heard her screaming. Someone, please help her out,” she tweeted.
Uduak shared screenshots of their conversations before Umoren’s phone line became unreachable.
The search for Umoren
Many Nigerian social media users joined in the search for Umoren from Thursday until her body was found on Sunday. Many volunteers were using different technological tools to track her last location using her phone number as well as the location of the man who reportedly invited her for a job interview.
Umoren, an orphan, according to her friends, shared Akpan’s phone number with her sister before going for the interview.
On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, Umoren, a graduate of the University of Uyo, had shared a tweet to seek a job and got multiple responses from users who indicated plans to help her.
She wrote: “#AkwaIbomTwitter please I’m really in need of a job, something to do to keep mind and soul together while contributing dutifully to the organisation. My location is Uyo, I’m creative, really good at thinking critically, and most importantly a fast learner. CV available on request.”
Investigations revealed that Umoren was offered a job by Uduak Akpan who also invited her to his place for an interview, but the suspect shared a post on his Facebook page on Friday claiming he never met the missing lady, despite multiple evidence confirming that she went to see him.
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