A State High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced a 29-year-old resident pastor of Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), Ifa Ikot Ubo–Ifa Ikot Okpon branch, Emmanuel Umoh, to death by hanging for the murder of his landlord, Gabriel Edward.
The trial judge, Justice Gabriel Ette, delivered the verdict on Thursday after finding Umoh guilty of killing Edward on 21 December 2020 at Ifa Ikot Ubo, Uyo.Edward, 23, 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.Promising Life Cut ShortBefore the incident, Edward had moved into his late mother’s property to help manage the estate and stay closer to school.
His mother had established a nursery school within the compound before her death in December 2019.The school hall was subsequently rented to Living Faith Church for worship at an annual rent of N150,000, with the approval of Edward’s father, Emana Edward, a retired principal.
The church reportedly began using the facility before completing payment, and Umoh was later posted to the branch as its pioneer resident pastor.Edward and his younger brother occupied a two-bedroom flat within the same compound.
According to evidence presented in court, church property was later stored in the flat after the pastor requested access for security reasons. On his father’s instruction, Edward provided a spare key to ease access.However, items belonging to Edward’s late mother were said to have gone missing shortly afterward.
When questioned, the pastor reportedly claimed he had misplaced the key. The locks were eventually changed after funds were provided by a senior pastor of the church, and the alleged theft stopped.The court also heard that tensions later arose between the two men over rent payments intended for repairs, culminating in the fatal incident in December 2020.
Justice Ette ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and consequently sentenced Umoh to death by hanging.
