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How Living Faith Church pastor was sentence to death by hanging for killing landlord in church premises in Akwa Ibom
From Isaac Job, Uyo
Pastors are described as shepherds with the “heart of a child” and “hide of a rhinoceros,” balancing intense heart-work with spiritual leadership. They are called to be faithful stewards of the gospel, focusing on leading with compassion, humility and endurance rather than pursuing popularity or material wealth.
But there are wolfs in sheep’s skin. They parade themselves as pastors but are like the devil, waiting for an opportunity to pounce and devour.
For one of the pretenders, it was a day of reckoning and reward for evil on earth as Akwa Ibom High Court sentenced to death Pastor Prince Emmanuel Umoh of Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, for killing his landlord, Gabriel Bassey, on December 21, 2020. Bassey was a 500-level student in the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The heartless pastor was in charge of the Ifa Ikot Ubo-Ifa Ikot Okpon branch of the church in Uyo LGA, where he committed the heinous crime.
The judgement provides temporary succour for the bereaved family of the deceased, having obtained justice against the blood-thirsty pastor.
It was gathered that the deceased was Umoh’s landlord and had relocated to his late mother’s property at Ifa Ikot Ubo community to secure the estate, which helped him live close to the University of Uyo.
Neighbours who spoke with Daily Sun in Uyo confirmed that the mother of the deceased, before she died in December 2019, had established a nursery school inside the compound before the evil pastor rented a two-bedroom flat there.
According to sources, the deceased lived in the flat attached to a long hall with his younger brother, Emmanuel Edward Bassey, within the compound.
Unfortunately, the building became a tomb for Gabriel as his tenant-pastor sent him to his early grave after stabbing him to death.
Another neighbour, who pleaded anonymity, said trouble started when Pastor Umoh indicated interest to rent the hall for church service at N150,000, which Gabriel obliged with the consent of his father Emana Bassey Edward, now a retired school principal.
The church was allowed to commence use of the hall, even before full payment was made to the deceased, believing that the transaction was between them and a man of God.
With the approval of the mega parish of the church, Pastor Umoh assumed duties as the pioneer resident preacher.
Our correspondent gathered that the pastor pleaded with the deceased to allow him keep church’s musical instruments in the landlord’s flat as the hall was not secure, which the late Gabriel accepted but discovered that some valuable items belonging to his late mum were missing.
The matter was reported to church authorities and keys were changed and the items stopped going missing in the apartment.
But on December 21, 2020, neighbours said the pastor went straight to the landlord’s room and did not come out, only for them to hear the late landlord screaming and shouting, “Jesus!”
Unknown to neighbours, the pastor entered the landlord’s room with a butcher’s knife and stabbed him severally as he screamed and died on the spot.
According to neighbours, the body stayed for five days in the room and started decomposing, thereby drawing attention with nauseating stench before it was reported to the police. The pastor was arrested and subsequently prosecuted at Uyo High Court.
Delivering judgement, Justice Gabriel Ette said evidence presented before the court revealed that, on December 21, 2020, the defendant was seen entering the deceased’s compound, after which the neighbours started hearing loud screams of “Jesus” from inside the premises.
“Shortly afterward, the defendant emerged wearing a white garment stained with blood, claiming he fell down while attempting to hang a church banner. The deceased was never seen alive again.
“On December 26, 2020, a day after Christmas, Edward’s decomposing body was discovered in his room, wrapped in a mat with multiple lacerations and a butcher’s knife found beside him.”
Justice Ette said the defendant, being the last person seen in late Edward’s room with unexplained bloodstains, was promptly arrested and charged with murder.
Arraigned on a one-count charge of murder, the pastor pleaded not guilty. To establish its case, the prosecution called six witnesses, including the deceased’s father, Emana Bassey Edward, who testified as the first prosecution witness
The father of the deceased told the court that, shortly after the church began operations, the defendant requested permission to store church chairs and other items inside the deceased’s flat for security reasons, as the hall lacked doors and windows. The request was granted.
He said whenever the defendant needed access to church property kept in the flat, the deceased, often away, had to return home to grant access, incurring transport expenses that were not refunded.
Following complaints, the principal witness directed his son to give the defendant a spare key to ease access.
The prosecution led evidence that after the key was handed over, items belonging to the deceased’s late mother, including clothes, plates and other valuables, began vanishing. The defendant, being in possession of the spare key, became a suspect.
When confronted, the defendant claimed he had lost the key. The matter was reported to the church’s senior pastor, Owoidoho Etuk Akpan, who testified as a defence witness, adding that he provided N5,000 to enable the deceased change the locks.
According to evidence before the court, no further items went missing after the locks were changed.Tensions later arose between the deceased and the defendant over the handling of rent reportedly paid for the use of the hall and intended for repairs.
In his judgement, which lasted over two hours, Justice Gabriel Ette described the case as “very sympathetic,” recounting the efforts of the deceased’s late mother to build and develop the property for educational purposes before her death.
The court found that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Ette condemned the act, noting the irony of a religious leader taking a life within church premises.
“Life is sacred and those who represent God on earth should teach that. 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 denigrate the very essence of his calling and takes someone’s life in the premises of the church,” Justice Ette held.
He warned that individuals who betray public trust in such a manner pose a danger to society and must face the full weight of the law.
“Having found you guilty as charged, I hereby sentence you to death by hanging,” the court declared.
