Rev King To Die By Hanging – Supreme Court

SAN FRANCISCO, February 26, (THEWILL) – The Supreme Court has struck out the appeal filed by Chukwuemeka Ezeugo of the Christian Praying Assembly, also known as Reverend King, challenging the death by hanging sentence issued against him by the Lagos High Court.

In his lead judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta asserted that the appeal lacked merit, noting that the facts of the case were “like what you see in a horror movie”.

The judge, who resolved all the 12 issues Ezeugo raised in his appeal against him, ruled that: “This appeal has no merit. The judgment of the court of appeal is hereby affirmed. The prison sentence that was earlier handed to the appellant is no longer relevant in view of the death sentence passed on him.”

A seven-man panel of Justices ‎of the Supreme Court led by Justice Walter Onnoghen had on December 2015 adjourned for judgment after entertaining arguments from counsel to prosecution and defence in the matter.

The Lagos state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem appeared before the Supreme Court alongside the Director of Public Prosecution, Idowu Alakija, and other senior counsel in the state, urging the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the judgment of the lower courts.

On September 26, 2006, Ezeugo was arraigned on a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder. He pleaded not guilty to the allegation but was sentenced to death by the then Justice Joseph Oyewole of the Lagos state High Court, Ikeja on January 11, 2007, for the murder of one of his church members, Ann Uzoh.