A High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced 33-year-old Ndifreke Isaiah Nelson to death for the brutal killing of his girlfriend, Emem Monday Effanga, after finding him guilty of murder and stealing.…....
The judgment, delivered on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, brought an end to a case that shocked many residents in Akwa Ibom State due to the gruesome nature of the crime and the suspect’s reported role as a church usher.
According to court proceedings, the tragic incident occurred in the early hours of February 6, 2025, at Effanga’s residence along Aka Road in Uyo. Reports indicated that Nelson had visited his girlfriend on his birthday to use her mobile phone to upload birthday photographs to social media.
However, what was expected to be a peaceful visit allegedly turned violent after a disagreement over the phone. Prosecutors told the court that Nelson attacked the makeup artist during a struggle, repeatedly slamming her head against a wall before strangling her to death.
After committing the act, he reportedly fled the scene with the deceased’s phone in an attempt to avoid suspicion.
Security operatives later launched an investigation and tracked Nelson to a church located on Nsikak Eduok Avenue during a night vigil service around 2am on February 8, 2025. He was subsequently arrested and reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ekpo Ntekim held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. The judge sentenced Nelson to death by hanging or lethal injection for the murder charge, stressing that the punishment for stealing was already covered by the principal sentence.
The case has sparked widespread reactions, with many residents calling for stronger efforts to address domestic violence and relationship-related crimes in society.
