Reverend King’s Appeal Stalled

The hearing of appeal against the death sentence of Chukwuemeka Ezeugo a.ka Reverend King at the court of appeal was stalled yesterday as the appeallate court did not sit.

However, counsels in the matter were told that the new date for the hearing of the appeal would be communicated to them later.

Reverend kings was sentenced to death by An Ikeja High court, presided by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, on January 10, 2007 after he was found guilty of murder charges preferred against him by the police. The court ruled that he should die by hanging. Justice Oyewole found the cleric guilty on the first 5-count charge and sentenced him to prison for 20 years on each count.

On the sixth count, the judge found him guilty and sentenced him to death by hanging. Rev. King was first arraigned at an Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court along with two other persons on a 12-count charge of murder and attempted murder of seven of his church members on 2 July, 2006. The matter was, however, transferred to the Ikeja High court on the advice of the Directorate for Public Prosecution (DPP) on the ground that the magistrate’s court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case since it involved a capital offence. In September last year when the matter commenced de novo, Rev. King pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge brought against him by the DPP but was denied bail by the presiding judge justice Olubunmi Oyewole.

The prosecution led by Mrs. Bola Ighile called about 12 witnesses amongst who were some victims of Rev. King alleged callous act. They included Olisa Chiejina, Chizoba, Uche Chukwu Iwoba, Vivian Ezeocha, Bunmi Olisa and Nwere Jesica. In their evidence in chief, they told the court how on 2 July, 2006 at Canal View Street, Ajao Estate, Rev. King set fire on seven of them over an allegation that they were committing fornication in his house. Vivian Ezeocha and Kelechi King, the principal witnesses narrated to the court how the accused turned them to sex toys by subjecting them to inhuman sex orgies.

Kelechi King in her gory account told the court how she had aborted four pregnancies for the heavily bearded self-acclaimed “God”. She also told the court some startling revelations of how the accused made her denounce her family and how she served him as his maid stark naked. On the incident that lead to the death of Ann King, almost all the prosecution witnesses corroborated the fact that Rev. King actually set them on fire by pouring fuel on them. They also told the court that on the said date, Rev. King gathered them together in his house over allegations that they were committing fornication in his house, an allegation they all denied.

They further affirmed that as a way of punishing them, Rev. King poured fuel on them and set them ablaze. Another prosecution witness Olisa Chiejina, told the court how the accused operated a “Lord Army”, an outfit he said Rev. King uses intimidate and harass members of his church. In his defence, over six witnesses disputed the allegations brought against Rev. King by painting a picture of how good and fatherly the accused is. At the conclusion of trial which lasted a record 104 days, the defence counsel led by Mr. Mike Okoye urged the court to discharge and acquit Rev. King on the ground that the evidences before the court did not in any way link his client to the death of Ann King.

—Akin Kuponiyi & Henry Ojelu