A state high court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, has sentenced Emmanuel Umoh, a resident pastor of Living Faith Church, Ifa Ikot Ubo-Ifa Ikot Okpon, to death by hanging for killing his landlord, Gabriel Edward.
According to Premium Times, Gabriel Ette, the trial judge,
on Thursday, convicted and sentenced 29-year-old Umoh to death for the murder
of 23-year-old Edward.
Ette held that prosecution had proved its murder case beyond
a reasonable doubt.
The judge wondered why a man of faith could kill in a place meant for worship, adding that the cleric did not stop the attack despite the shout of “Jesus” from the deceased.
THE CASE
In December 2020, Edward, who was a final-year student of
civil engineering at the University of Uyo at that time, was murdered at his
late mother’s property.
He later graduated with a first class degree when the
results were released.
The deceased had moved to stay in his mother’s property to
safeguard the estate.
The deceased’s mother built a hall inside the compound to
commence a nursery school before her death.
The hall was later rented to the church at an annual rent of
N150,000.
The deceased was staying in a two-bedroom flat with his
younger brother inside the compound. Umoh was later posted to the church as
pioneer resident pastor.
After some time, Umoh and the deceased started having a
dispute over rent money meant for repairs.
Witnesses told the court that the pastor entered the
compound on December 21, 2020 — the day of the murder.
After some minutes, neighbours heard the loud screams of
“Jesus” from inside the compound.
The pastor was said to have emerged wearing a white garment
stained with blood, claiming he had fallen while hanging a banner.
On December 26, 2020, the decomposing body of the deceased
was discovered in his room, wrapped in a mat with deep cuts. A butcher’s knife
was found beside the body.
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