A High Court in Akwa Ibom State has sentenced a pastor, Emmanuel Umoh, to death by hanging for the murder of his landlord, Gabriel Bassey, a 500-level Civil Engineering student at the University of Uyo.
The judgment was delivered by Justice Gabriel Ette, who found the cleric guilty of killing Bassey on December 21, 2020, in Ifa Ikot Ubo, Uyo Local Government Area.
The victim had moved into his late mother’s property to oversee the estate and stay closer to his school. Before her death in 2019, his mother had established a nursery school on the premises. Part of the compound, including a large hall originally built for school activities, was rented out to a church for N150,000 annually with the consent of the deceased’s father, Emana Bassey, a retired school principal.
The church was allowed to begin using the hall before completing full payment, and Umoh was later assigned as the branch’s pioneer resident pastor.
Evidence presented in court showed that on the day of the incident, the pastor was seen entering the victim’s compound. Neighbours later reported hearing screams from inside the premises. Shortly after, Umoh was seen leaving the area wearing a white garment stained with blood, claiming he had injured himself while fixing a banner.
The victim was not seen again until December 26, 2020, when his decomposing body was discovered inside his room. He had multiple injuries, and a knife was found beside him.
Investigations revealed that the pastor had previously been given a spare key to the flat to access church property stored there. However, items belonging to the deceased’s late mother reportedly began to go missing after the key was handed over. When questioned, the pastor claimed he had misplaced the key. After the locks were changed, no further items were reported missing.
The court also heard that disagreements later developed between the victim and the pastor over rent money intended for repairs on the property.
During the trial, the prosecution called six witnesses, including the deceased’s father. The defendant pleaded not guilty, but the court held that the evidence against him was overwhelming.
In his judgment, Justice Ette described the case as deeply disturbing, stressing that the sanctity of human life must be upheld, particularly by individuals in positions of spiritual leadership. He noted the seriousness of betraying public trust and concluded that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court subsequently sentenced Umoh to death by hanging.
