The Supreme Court would today, give the final word whether Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, alias Reverend King should be hanged for murder or whether he should spend some few years more in jail.
King, General Overseer of the Christian
Praying Assembly in Lagos, is challenging the judgment of a Lagos High Court
sentencing him to death by hanging. General Overseer of the Christian Praying
Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King
The apex court presided over by Justice Walter Onoghen adjourned till today to give judgment after listening to arguments from counsel to prosecution and defence in the matter.
The apex court presided over by Justice Walter Onoghen adjourned till today to give judgment after listening to arguments from counsel to prosecution and defence in the matter.
Lagos
State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, who
appeared before the Supreme Court alongside Mrs. Idowu Alakija, the Director of
Public Prosecution and other Senior Counsel in the State, urged the court to
dismiss the appeal and uphold the judgment of the lower court.
Ezeugo
was arraigned on September 26, 2006 on a six-count charge of attempted murder
and murder. He pleaded not guilty to the allegation but was sentenced to death
by the then Justice Joseph Oyewole of Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on January
11, 2007 for the murder of one of his church members, Ann Uzoh. Justice Oyewole
is now a judge of Appeal Court sitting in the Calabar division.
The
Lagos State Government had said that the convict poured petrol on the deceased
and five other persons and that Uzoh died on August 2, 2006; 11 days after the
act was perpetrated on her. Ezeugo was convicted and sentenced to 20 years
imprisonment for the attempted murder and death by hanging for the offence of
murder. Dissatisfied, Ezeugo challenged the verdict before the Court of Appeal
in Lagos, but the appeal was thrown out.
“I hereby rule that the prosecution
effectively discharged the burden of proof on it. This appeal is devoid of any
basis and accordingly fails.
“The judgment of the High Court is hereby
affirmed, and the conviction imposed on the appellant, (which is death by
hanging) is also affirmed,” Justice Fatimo Akinbami who read the judgement
held.
The two other members of the panel of
Justices, Amina Augie and Ibrahim Saulawa concurred with the lead judgement.
Again, Ezeugo not being satisfied with the verdict, approached the Supreme
Court, and urged that the judgment be upturned. The apex court has now fixed
the final judgment for today.