- Living Faith pastor sentenced to death in Akwa Ibom
- Landlord stabbed to death inside church premises
- Court finds case proven beyond doubt
- Judge condemns betrayal of public trust
An Akwa Ibom State High Court has sentenced a Living Faith Church pastor to death by hanging after finding him guilty of murdering his landlord, a final-year university student, in a case that shocked residents of Uyo.
The Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo on Thursday sentenced Prince Emmanuel Umoh, a 29-year-old resident pastor of Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, to death by hanging for the murder of his landlord, Gabriel Bassey Edward.
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Delivering judgment, Justice Gabriel Ette held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicting Umoh for stabbing Edward to death inside his residence at Ifa Ikot Ubo–Ifa Ikot Okpon, Uyo.
The deceased was a 500-level Civil Engineering student of the University of Uyo, whose academic results later revealed that he graduated with First Class honours, released after his death.
Court findings showed that Edward had moved into his late mother’s property to safeguard the estate and live closer to school. Before her death in December 2019, his mother had established a nursery school on the premises.
Part of the property — a long hall initially built for school use — was later rented to the church for worship at an annual rent of ₦150,000, with the consent of Edward’s father, Emana Bassey Edward, a retired school principal.
Prince Emmanuel Umoh was subsequently posted to the branch as its pioneer resident pastor.
Evidence before the court revealed that on December 21, 2020, Umoh was seen entering the compound. Neighbours later testified that they heard loud screams of “Jesus” coming from inside the premises.
Shortly after, the pastor reportedly emerged wearing a white garment stained with blood, claiming he had fallen while attempting to hang a banner.
Gabriel Edward was never seen alive again.
On December 26, 2020, a day after Christmas, his decomposing body was discovered in his room, wrapped in a mat and bearing multiple stab wounds. A butcher’s knife was found beside the body.
The court heard that Umoh had unrestricted access to the property after being given a spare key to store church items in the deceased’s flat. Following the handover of the key, several household items belonging to Edward’s late mother allegedly went missing.
When confronted, the defendant claimed he had lost the key. Locks were later changed, after which the thefts reportedly stopped.
Tensions later developed over rent money paid for repairs, further straining the relationship between both men.
In a judgment that lasted over two hours, Justice Ette described the case as “deeply sympathetic,” recounting the sacrifices made by the deceased’s late mother to build the property for educational purposes.
“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 stoops so low as to take a life within church premises,” the judge said.
Justice Ette added that individuals who betray public trust pose a grave danger to society.
“Having found you guilty as charged, I hereby sentence you to death by hanging,” the court ruled.