A High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced a resident pastor of Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, to death by hanging for the murder of his 23-year-old landlord, Gabriel Edward.
Delivering judgement on Thursday, Justice Gabriel Ette found Emmanuel Umoh, 29, guilty of killing Mr Edward on 21 December 2020 at Ifa Ikot Ubo in Uyo.
The court held that the prosecution proved the charge of murder beyond reasonable doubt.
Gabriel Edward was a final-year Civil Engineering student of the University of Uyo at the time of his death.
Results released posthumously showed that he graduated with a first-class degree.
How it began:
Following the death of his mother in December 2019, Mr Edward moved into her property to protect the family estate and stay closer to school. Before her passing, she had established a nursery school within the compound.
The school hall was later rented to Living Faith Church for worship at an annual rent of N150,000, with the consent of Mr Edward’s father, Emana Edward, a retired school principal.
The church reportedly began using the hall before completing payment, and Mr Umoh was subsequently posted there as the pioneer resident pastor.
According to evidence presented in court, Mr Edward and his younger brother occupied a two-bedroom flat within the same compound. At the pastor’s request, some church items were stored in the flat for security reasons.
To facilitate access, Mr Edward gave him a spare key on his father’s instruction.
Soon after, personal belongings belonging to the deceased’s late mother allegedly began to go missing. When confronted, the pastor claimed he had misplaced the key.
The locks were later changed after the church’s senior pastor provided funds, and the reported thefts ceased.
However, tension reportedly developed between the pastor and the deceased over rent proceeds meant for repairs in the compound.
The killing
On 21 December 2020, witnesses saw Mr Umoh enter the premises. Neighbours later testified that they heard loud cries of “Jesus” from within the compound.
Shortly afterward, the pastor was seen emerging in a white garment stained with blood, claiming he had fallen while attempting to hang a banner.
Mr Edward was not seen alive again.
Five days later, on 26 December, his decomposing body was discovered inside his room, wrapped in a mat with multiple deep cuts.
A butcher’s knife was recovered at the scene. Being the last person seen with the deceased and unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the bloodstains on his clothing, Mr Umoh was arrested and subsequently charged with murder.
He was arraigned on 6 December 2021 and pleaded not guilty. The prosecution called six witnesses, including the victim’s father, who recounted the events leading up to the incident.
Court’s findings
In a judgement that lasted over two hours, Justice Ette described the case as deeply sympathetic, noting the efforts of the deceased’s late mother to secure a future for her children.
The judge condemned what he described as the disturbing irony of a religious leader committing murder within church premises.
He stressed that life is sacred and that those who profess to represent God must uphold and protect it.
Justice Ette said it was shocking that a place of worship became the scene of such violence and reflected on the fact that the victim cried out “Jesus” during the attack but received no mercy.
He warned that society becomes unsafe when individuals who claim righteousness perpetrate evil acts and insisted that justice must prevail.
Having found the defendant guilty as charged, the court sentenced him to death by hanging.
Prosecution’s response
Speaking after the judgement, the prosecution counsel, Iniobong Essang, described the case as emotionally taxing but expressed satisfaction that justice had been served.
He commended the court for what he termed a well-considered decision and said that although the trial took years, the verdict brought some measure of comfort to the victim’s family.
According to family sources, Mr Edward had told relatives a day before his death that he had recovered many of his missing belongings. Less than 24 hours later, he was killed.
While the judgement brings legal closure to a prolonged and painful ordeal, the loss of a promising young man who graduated with a first-class degree remains a profound tragedy for his family and community.
