Nkereuwem Emah, a 52-year-old man, has been sentenced to death by hanging for killing his pregnant wife, whom he accused of infidelity.

The Naijacrawl reports that Emah killed his wife on the 12th of February 2018, while she was sleeping in their residence in Mbiabam, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.

On Friday, Justice Bassey Nkanang, who found him guilty of murder, sentenced Emah, the father of five, from Mbiabam in the Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.

The accused person was arraigned on December 6th, 2018. The accused pleaded not guilty to the one count of murder, contrary to Section 326(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Volume 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, 2000.

The prosecution called three witnesses, including a 10-year-old son of the deceased, Christian Sylvanus Etim, who narrated how his father committed the act against his mother.

Mr. Etim said, “On 12/2/2018, my father (the accused person) was a mechanic with the Water Board. On the said date, he used a match during the night. My mother was sleeping. He used it and cut my mother. My mother died. The incident took place in the house we all lived in. The village head called the police in Itam. The police came and invited me to accompany them to the station.

The evidence of the son was corroborated by that of his father, the accused person, who had earlier confessed to the police when he was arrested after the incident.

“On 12/2/2018 at about 4:30 am, I called (sic) my wife to ask her about how she came about the pregnancy and who is responsible for it. She refused to answer me and I became (sic) annoyed.

“I took the big match and cut her right hand." She moved to run away. I cut her neck again and she fell (sic) down. "I was informed by people around our house that one Michael Udoh always slept (sic) with her anytime I left the house for work,” Emah said in his extrajudicial statement, which is an exhibit before the Court.

Delivering judgement, which lasted for almost one hour on Friday, the trial judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, described the act as a “callous, inexplicable, and inexcusable debasement of the marriage institution”.

“The accused person, Nkereuwem Etim Emah, is hereby sentenced to death. In compliance with the Section 339(2) of the Criminal Procedure Law, Cap 39, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, the sentence of the Court upon you, Nkereuwem Etim Emah is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead and may the Lord have mercy on your soul,” the court ruled.