A State High Court in Uyo has sentenced a resident pastor to death by hanging for the murder of his landlord, a 500 level Civil Engineering student of the University of Uyo.
Justice Gabriel Ette delivered the judgment after finding Emmanuel Umoh, Resident Pastor of Living Faith Church Chapel, Ifa Ikot Ubo branch, guilty of killing Gabriel Bassey on December 21, 2020.
The judge described the case as deeply troubling, noting the irony of a religious leader taking a life within church premises.
How It Began
The deceased, Gabriel Bassey, had relocated to his late mother’s property at Ifa Ikot Ubo in Uyo to secure the estate and live closer to school.
Before her death in December 2019, his mother had established a nursery school on the property. A long hall within the compound, originally built for school use, was later rented to Living Faith Church at an annual rent of N150,000 with the consent of the deceased’s father, Emana Bassey, a retired school principal.
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The church began using the hall even before completing payment. Emmanuel Umoh was subsequently posted to the branch as its pioneer resident pastor.
The Key That Sparked Suspicion
According to evidence presented in court, the pastor requested permission to store church chairs and equipment inside the deceased’s flat because the hall lacked doors and windows.
The request was granted.
However, tension soon developed. Each time the pastor needed access to the stored items, the deceased had to return home, often incurring transport costs.
Following complaints, the father directed his son to hand over a spare key to the pastor.
After the key was given, items belonging to the deceased’s late mother reportedly began to go missing. When confronted, the pastor claimed he had lost the key.
The matter was reported to the church’s senior pastor, Owoidoho Akpan, who provided N5,000 to enable the deceased change the locks. The court heard that no further items went missing after the locks were replaced.
The Day of the Killing
On December 21, 2020, neighbours saw the pastor entering the compound. Soon after, they heard screams of “Jesus” from within the premises.
Shortly afterwards, he was seen emerging in a white garment stained with blood, claiming he had fallen while attempting to hang a banner.
Gabriel Bassey was not seen alive again.
Five days later, on December 26, his decomposing body was discovered in his room, wrapped in a mat. A butcher’s knife was found beside him.
The court heard that the defendant, being the last person seen with the deceased and having unexplained bloodstains, was arrested and charged with murder.
Court Finds Case Proven Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Umoh, who was arraigned on December 6, 2021, pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution called six witnesses, including the deceased’s father. After reviewing the evidence, Justice Ette held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Delivering judgment that lasted over two hours, the judge described the act as appalling, particularly given the defendant’s position as a religious leader.
“Life is sacred and those who represent God on earth should teach that,” the judge said. “It is an irony and quite appalling when a man who claims to be the representative of the divine on earth stoops so low as to take someone’s life on the premises of the church.”
He added that individuals who betray public trust in such a manner pose a danger to society.
“Having found you guilty as charged, I hereby sentence you to death by hanging,” the court declared.
The verdict brings closure to a case that shocked the Ifa Ikot Ubo community and raised disturbing questions about trust, power and betrayal within sacred spaces.
