The news of the death of Iniubong Umoren, the young Nigerian lady allegedly killed in cold blood while in search of a job, has remained one of the most unfortunate incidents in these trying times in Nigeria.

A young man, Uduak Frank Akpan, currently “cooling off” in the Police net at Akwa Ibom State has reportedly owned up to the killing of Iniubong. This was in a fresh press release that followed the agitation that Uduak had possibly committed suicide while in police custody. But news of the said suicide has now been confirmed as untrue. 

In his admission, Uduak claimed that the killing of Iniubong was unintentional, as it was in the process of self-defence. Hear him:

I invited her for a job and I asked her whether she can work in a farm as a secretary. I told her that I wanted to sleep with her first. She agreed on a condition that I will use condom which I also agreed to. She became furious when I started removing the condom, and she attacked me. I was bleeding so I needed to defend myself by hitting her which led to her death…

Unfortunately, Iniubong is no longer here to narrate her own side of the unfortunate story, so as to possibly debunk Uduak’s account laden with lies or half truths.

In this game of wits, the Police needs to determine the profile of Uduak as a job provider and his history of “helping the country in reducing unemployment rate by the alleged job provision.” The story of Blessing Godwin is absolutely useful. Blessing’s story fingers Uduak for attempting to provide her with a “job”.

From Uduak’s own narrative, a decent mind will not find it hard to at least realise that Iniubong wasn’t going to give in, or die without a fight. Uduak’s belief appears to be an attempt to convince the public that Iniubong consented to his sexual advances by asking for condom. But a thinking mind understands that the young lady needed to appear to have agreed, so as to gain some advantage in her plan to stop the unholy bargains of Uduak. But little did she know she was up against a fine boy with the swag of a ruthless killer. Written on the shirt Uduak was seen putting on at the press conference reads “The Mudder Squad.” Was that his shirt or the police wore him that? It’s unlikely the Police did, though.

Self-defence

Self-defence is one of the defences available to a person charged with offences relating to criminal assault, murder and the likes. The law understands that it is only a tree that hears it would be cut down but stands to watch.

However, to sustain the plea of self-defence, there are several principles to consider. One of them is that the degree of blow or effort used to defend oneself must be contemporaneous to the forthcoming or perceived attack. Thus, if a slap was heading to your face, you can’t defend that with a gunshot. Self-defence won’t avail you if the person dies of gunshot injury or sustains grievous bodily harm.

In the case of Uduak, the Court must critically access the alleged attack by Iniubong on Uduak. Again, we must not lose sight of the fact that the alleged attack likely resulted from her attempt to stop Uduak from his sexual advances. No lady who willingly consents to sex would immediately launch an attack. Her alleged consent was clearly no consent. Uduak failed to see through that in dishing out that part of the narrative.

Subject to further thorough evaluation of the entire circumstances, it is sufficient to mention that Uduak has a huge task in this game of conscience and wits.

There’s need to critically interrogate the issues pointing to a possible case of premeditated murder of Iniubong. There was nothing in Uduak’s narrative showing that Iniubong was aware of the fact that she was being invited for a sex romp like the “fearless” ladies found on dating apps. She was seeking for a job. Real job. According to Uduak, he presented her with the position of a secretary at a farm. But his intention was to illegally plough in her field instead. This is like the common practices of many employers of labour today in Nigeria who subject our women to sexual demands before employing them. The difference is that in Uduak’s case, there is doubt whether there was even any job for Iniubong in the first place. More so, those employers who demand for sex present the bargain like a standard form contract of take it or leave it. They usually don’t turn violent or kill and bury ladies in shallow graves if they refuse. Their actions remain condemnable, regardless. 

So, Iniubong allegedly objected to Uduak’s sexual advances with a blow and his best reaction was to end her life and bury her in a shallow grave without honour.

A man whose heart could not melt to show mercy, looking at the pretty face of Iniubong, deserves not the mercy of the law.