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.
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.
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