Justice Unwana and her driver, Idorenyin Ekanem, were abducted on December 18, 2023, along the Okobo Esuk Inwang–Ndon Ebom Road.
During the incident, her police orderly, ThankGod Ekanem, was shot and killed.
The State Security Service arrested Effiong on July 4, 2024, on Ikot Ekpene Road in Uyo after investigations into the crime.
He later admitted that he was involved in several kidnappings carried out by a gang known as the “Bling Bling Marine Striker Force.”
The group is said to be led by Ubong Effiong, also called “Condiment,” who is still on the run.
In his statement, Effiong said he took part in three major kidnappings, including that of Justice Unwana.
He revealed that the gang received N25 million as ransom for the judge’s release and that he was given N300,000 as his share.
He also confessed to helping kidnap a pastor from The Apostolic Church in Oron, as well as another person whose family paid N5 million for freedom, from which he received N50,000.
Effiong explained that the gang often used mini-buses to carry out their crimes and sometimes targeted local residents and fishermen to get money.
He pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy, belonging to a terrorist group, kidnapping, and hiding information about the gang’s activities.
On Monday, February 23, 2026, Justice Chigozie Sergius Onah convicted him on three charges.
The court sentenced him to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to commit terrorism, 20 years for being a member of a terrorist group, and life imprisonment for kidnapping Justice Unwana.
Effiong was cleared of the charge of withholding information.
The judgment is seen as an important success for security agencies in Akwa Ibom State and a strong warning to kidnapping gangs operating in the area.
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