Court Sentences Winners Chapel Pastor Emmanuel Umoh To Ð3ath For Landlord’s Mvrðer In Akwa Ibom
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.
