Five Years After, Rev King Appeals Death Sentence

Convicted General-Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Rev. King, yesterday pleaded with the Court of Appeal, Lagos to quash the death sentence passed on him by Justice Joseph Oyewole of an Ikeja High Court, five years ago.

Ezeugo was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging on January 11, 2007 , for the alleged murder of a church member, Ann Uzoh. He was arraigned on September 26, 2006 on a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder.

At the hearing of his appeal, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, who handled his brief, while adopting his written address as well as his reply brief, urged the court to set aside the judgment of the trial court.
Lagos State government,  represented by Solicitor-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, as respondent also adopted its written address.

The state, however, urged the court to uphold Justice Oyewole’s verdict. “We urge your Lordships to dismiss this appeal,” Pedro said.

He said the Evidence Act permits the expulsion of inadmissible evidence, adding that the fact counsel did not address the court did not matter, as the judge was the master of the evidence before him.

Pedro said there was enough corroborating evidence, both written and oral, upon which the conviction was secured.

During the trial, the prosecution  had argued that the convict poured petrol on the diseased, Uzor and five others. Uzoh died August 2, 2006 , 11 days after the incident.

Source: VANGUARD