The Fall of Reverend King

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The Fall of Reverend King

By Correspondent

Without being told, hell must have been let loose on the condemned General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo (a.k.a Reverend King), when the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, confirmed the death sentence slammed on him by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole who is now a judge of the Court of Appeal, Calabar. Specifically, Justice Oyewole, who was then a judge of the High Court of Lagos State, had sentenced Reverend King to death by hanging for killing a member of his church, Ann Uzoh. The Supreme Court in a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, February 26, 2016, by a seven-man panel of justices, led by Justice Walter Onnoghen, dismissed the appeal initiated by the condemned clergyman. The apex court judgment, handed down by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, noted that “The ”Žfacts of the case could have been lifted from a horror film.” “This appeal has no merit. The judgement of the court of appeal is hereby affirmed. The prison sentence that was earlier handed to the appellant is no longer relevant in view of the death sentence passed on him.” Reverend King had been convicted and sentenced to death by hanging on January 11, 2007, for the killing of Uzoh. The cleric was docked before Justice Oyewole by the Lagos State government on September 26, 2006 on a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder. While Reverend King’s trial lasted, the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) maintained that the cleric poured petrol on the late Uzoh alongside five others. The late Uzoh died on August 2, 2006, exactly 11 days after the incident. The trial court, presided over by Justice Oyewole, declared that there was sufficient evidence linking the accused person to the commission of the crime. Justice Oyewole then convicted and sentenced Reverend King to 20 years’ imprisonment for the attempted murder and death by hanging for the offence of murder. But not satisfied with the decision of Justice Oyewole, Reverend King proceeded to the Lagos division of the Court of Appeal to challenge the judgement, urging the Court of Appeal to set aside Justice Oyewole’s verdict. Apart from the 16 grounds of appeal initiated through his counsel, Olalekan Ojo, the clergyman was also granted leave to argue additional 16 grounds on the basis of an amended notice of appeal he instituted on June 15, 2008. The lawyer posited that the convicted Reverend King did not commit the crime and was not at the scene of the incident. Barrister Ojo also suggested that the late Uzoh, had in two statements after the incident and before her death, argued that she got burnt in a generator accident and that the cleric was not responsible for her injuries. The lawyer further argued that the Investigating Police Officer had tendered statements which stated that Ezeugo was not responsible for the burns that led to Uzoh’s death. Ojo thereafter alleged that Justice Oyewole had declined admitting in evidence, the statements he said exonerated Ezeugo of the crime. The lawyer maintained that, “Those vital exhibits, been admitted rather than expunged by the trial judge, would have operated to cast serious doubt on the case of the prosecution.” Ojo added that “Justice Oyewole’s refusal to admit the exhibits in evidence occasioned a great miscarriage of justice against the convict.”  

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