It has been five years since the General-Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Rev. King was convicted and sentenced to death by Justice Joseph Oyewole of Ikeja High court. However, the convict was in court again yesterday to appeal against the death penalty on him.
It could be recalled that the infamous Pastor was arraigned on September 26, 2006. He was later convicted and sentenced to death by hanging on January 11, 2007 for charges of murder and attempted 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.
The prosecuting party; Lagos State government, represented by Solicitor-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, however, urged the court to uphold Justice Oyewole’s verdict. “We urge your Lordships to dismiss this appeal”. Pedro said.
During the trail of Ezeugo, the prosecuting counsel had argued that the convict poured petrol on the diseased, Uzor and five others. Uzoh died August 2, 2006 , 11 days after the incident.
But Ojo, counsel to the convict, had disagreed, claiming that Ezeugo was not guilty of the crime and was not present when the incident happened. He also argued that the deceased had in two statements she made after the incident and before her death, stated that she got burnt in a generator accident and that the cleric was not responsible for her injuries, yet they were not admitted in evidence.
The lawyer said that Justice Oyewole’s refusal to admit the exhibits tendered before him led to a great miscarriage of justice, thus the verdict of a death sentence should be reconsidered.
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