Uyo Court Jails Kidnapper for Life Over Abduction of Justice Joy Unwana

​UYO — A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced 30-year-old Nkereuwem Felix Effiong to life imprisonment for his pivotal role in the December 2023 abduction of Akwa Ibom State High Court Judge, Justice Joy Unwana.

​The presiding judge, Justice Chigozie Sergius Onah, delivered the landmark judgment on Monday, February 23, 2026, finding Effiong guilty on multiple counts related to terrorism and kidnapping. The convict was a member of the notorious “Bling Bling Marine Striker Force,” a criminal syndicate that terrorized the Oron and Uruan waterways.

​The Abduction and Aftermath

​Justice Unwana and her driver, Idorenyin Ekanem, were violently intercepted on December 18, 2023, along the Okobo Esuk Inwang–Ndon Ebom Road while returning from a court session in Oron. During the attack, the judge’s police orderly was tragically killed on the spot.

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​In his confessional statement, Effiong admitted to participating in the operation and revealed that the gang successfully extorted a N25 million ransom for the judge’s release. Surprisingly, the convict disclosed that despite the massive sum collected, his personal share of the “loot” was a mere N300,000.

​A Trail of Criminality

​Beyond the high-profile abduction of the judge, Effiong’s confession peeled back the layers of a wider criminal enterprise. He admitted involvement in:

• ​The kidnapping of a Pastor of The Apostolic Church in Oron.
• ​An abduction involving a family who paid N5 million (from which he received N50,000).
• ​Frequent raids on local fishermen and small-scale transporters to fund the gang’s logistics.

​The Verdict

​Justice Onah sentenced Effiong to:

• ​Life Imprisonment for the kidnapping of Justice Joy Unwana.
• ​25 Years for conspiracy to commit terrorism.
• ​20 Years for membership in a terrorist group.

​While the convict was discharged and acquitted on the charge of concealing information, the court emphasized that the heavy sentences would run concurrently where applicable, serving as a deterrent to other criminal syndicates in the region.

​A Victory for Law Enforcement

​The conviction marks a significant milestone for the Akwa Ibom State Police Command. It follows the 2024 neutralization of the gang’s leader, Ubong Effiong Archibong (alias “Condiment”), who was killed during a gun battle with security forces in his hideout.

​The state government and judicial stakeholders have lauded the verdict as a vital step in protecting the sanctity of the bench and restoring public confidence in the safety of the state’s highways.