A State High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced a 29-year-old resident pastor of Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, Emmanuel Umoh, to death by hanging for the murder of his landlord, Gabriel Edward.
Mr Edward, 23, was a final-year civil engineering student at the University of Uyo at the time of his death.
Academic results released posthumously showed that he graduated with a first-class degree.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Gabriel Ette found Mr Umoh guilty of fatally stabbing the student on 21 December 2020 at Ifa Ikot Ubo in Uyo.
The court heard that Mr Edward had relocated to his late mother’s property to oversee the estate and live closer to school. Before her death in December 2019, his mother had established a nursery school within the compound. A hall constructed for the school was later leased to Living Faith Church for worship at an annual rent of N150,000, with the consent of his father, Emana Edward, a retired principal.
Although full payment had not been completed, the church began holding services in the hall. Mr Umoh was subsequently assigned to the branch as its pioneer resident pastor.
Mr Edward lived in a two-bedroom apartment in the compound with his younger brother. At the pastor’s request, some church property was stored in the flat for security purposes.
Acting on his father’s directive, Mr Edward handed over a spare key to ease access.
Evidence before the court showed that shortly afterward, items belonging to the deceased’s late mother began to go missing.
When questioned, the pastor reportedly claimed he had misplaced the key. The locks were eventually replaced after funds were provided by the church’s senior pastor, and the alleged thefts ceased.
The relationship between the two men later deteriorated over rent funds intended for repairs.
On 21 December 2020, witnesses testified that Mr Umoh was seen entering the premises.
Neighbours later reported hearing loud cries of “Jesus” from within the compound.
Shortly afterward, the pastor emerged dressed in a white garment stained with blood, explaining that he had fallen while putting up a banner.
Mr Edward was not seen alive again.
On 26 December, his decomposing body was discovered in his room, wrapped in a mat and bearing deep cuts. A butcher’s knife was found beside the body. Investigators identified Mr Umoh as the last person seen with the deceased. He was unable to account for the bloodstains on his clothing and was subsequently arrested and charged with murder.
The defendant was arraigned on 6 December 2021 and pleaded not guilty.
During the trial, the prosecution presented six witnesses, including the victim’s father, who recounted the events preceding the incident.
In a judgment that lasted more than two hours, Justice Ette described the matter as “very sympathetic,” referencing the sacrifices made by the deceased’s late mother to secure her children’s future.
The judge ruled that the prosecution had established its case beyond a reasonable doubt and criticised the circumstances of the crime, noting the contradiction of a religious leader committing murder within church grounds.
Justice Ette, in his ruling, stressed that life is sacred and those who claim to represent God must protect it, not destroy it.
He said it was shocking that a man of faith could kill in a place meant for worship, asking what the young student did to deserve such a cruel death. He reflected on how the victim cried out “Jesus” while being attacked, yet mercy never moved the attacker.
The judge warned that society is unsafe when people who pretend to be righteous commit evil. He declared that justice must prevail.
“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 take someone’s life in the premises of the church.
“He heard the deceased scream, ‘Jesus! Yet the defendant inflicted the second cut and many more.
“Today is judgement day on earth. I think men like him are not to be allowed a space in a free society.
“Having found you guilty as charged, I hereby sentence you to death by hanging.”
Speaking after the verdict, the prosecution counsel, Iniobong Essang, described the case as emotionally challenging and said justice had been served.
“Today is quite emotional for me. Some cases inevitably find their way into our hearts,” the prosecution said, commending the court for what he termed a “well-considered judgement” and adding that justice, though delayed, was not denied.
He said the ruling offered some measure of relief to the victim’s family and prayed for the repose of Mr Edward’s soul.
Family sources disclosed that Mr Edward had reportedly informed relatives a day before the incident that he had recovered several missing items from the house. Within 24 hours, he was killed.
While the judgment may mark the end of a prolonged legal battle for the family, the death of a promising young graduate — a first-class student whose life was cut short — remains a profound loss.
