ESSIEN IBOK ESSIEN V. THE STATE

MUSA DATTIJO MUHAMMAD, J.S.C. (Delivering the Leading Judgment): The appellant was charged, tried and convicted along with one Ekong Akpan Thomas on a lone count of armed robbery contrary to Section 1{2)(a) of the Armed Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act 1990 at the Akwa Ibom State Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, sitting at Ikot Ekpene. The appellant was the 2nd accused at the trial tribunal.

To establish its case, the prosecution called five witnesses, PW1 - PW3, the victims of the criminal conduct of the two accused persons, and PW4 and PW5, police officers, who investigated the case against the appellant and his co-traveller in crime. The prosecution also tendered and relied on ten exhibits, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, G1, G2 and H in fashioning their case. The appellant gave evidence in his defence. He called no other witness. At the end of the trial, the trial tribunal in a considered judgment delivered on 28th May 1999, the 1st accused and the appellant were convicted as charge…