An Akwa Ibom State High Court has sentenced a polytechnic lecturer and his accomplice to a combined 11 years in prison for their roles in a 50 million naira ($—) extortion scheme.
Justice Augustine Odokwo on Wednesday convicted Abel Udo Jacob, a lecturer at Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, and Innocent Nicholas Ntokon over what the court described as years of threats, intimidation and financial exploitation of businessman Edikan Jacob Jackson.
Prosecutors said that between 2016 and 2020, Ntokon — described in court as a leader of the Klans Confraternity — orchestrated a campaign of terror against the victim. The court heard that armed enforcers were sent to the businessman’s shops and threats were issued against his family to compel monthly payments.
Jacob was found to have acted as the “financial clearinghouse” for the syndicate, allowing extorted funds to pass through his bank account.
In a judgment that lasted about two hours, Odokwo dismissed Jacob’s defense that he believed the funds were linked to “NDDC roofing contracts,” calling the explanation unreasonable and inconsistent with the evidence.
The judge described Ntokon as “a predator who used the cloak of a trader to hide the heart of a hardened and merciless cultist and extortionist.”
Ntokon was sentenced to eight years in prison on counts including demanding with menace, stealing, terrorism and cultism. Jacob received three years for demanding with menace, stealing and terrorism. The sentences will run concurrently.
The court also ordered the men to jointly and severally pay 25 million naira in restitution to the victim.
A Toyota Avensis and a Mercedes-Benz identified as proceeds of the crime were ordered forfeited to the state and will be auctioned, with the proceeds to be applied toward partial restitution, the court said.
