Rev King to die by hanging as Supreme Court upholds judgment

The conviction of the General-Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, better known as Reverend King, to die by hanging has been upheld by the Supreme Court, which dismissed his appeal as lacking in merit.

A seven-man panel of Justices ‎of the Supreme Court led by Justice Walter Onnoghen, in a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday afternoon, affirmed the death sentence that was earlier handed to Ezeugo by the Lagos State High Court.

The court in its lead verdict delivered by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, consequently dismissed the appeal brought before it by the convicted clergy.

Justice Ngwuta who noted that “the ‎facts of the case could have been lifted from horror film”, resolved all the 12 issues Ezeugo raised in his appeal against him.

“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,” the Judge ruled.

It will be recalled that Ezeugo was arraigned on September 26, 2006 on a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder. The charge against him was at the instance of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

On January 11, 2007, he was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for the alleged murder of his church member, Ann Uzoh. The prosecution had argued during the trial that the convict poured petrol on the diseased, Uzor and five others. Uzoh died on August 2, 2006, exactly 11 days after the incident.