Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King.
The Supreme Court yesterday fixed February 26, next year, for judgment in the appeal by the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King.
King is challenging the judgment of a Lagos High Court, which sentenced him to death by hanging.
The Apex Court, presided over by Justice Walter Onoghen, adjourned for judgment after hearing arguments from prosecution and defence counsel.
Lagos State Attorney General Adeniji Kazeem, who appeared alongside the Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, urged the court to dismiss the appeal.
Ezeugo was arraigned on September 26, 2006 on a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder.
He pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to death by 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.
Justice Oyewole is now a judge of the Appeal Court sitting in the Calabar Division.
The Lagos State government said the convict set ablaze the deceased and five others.
Uzoh died 11 days after on August 2, 2006.
Ezeugo was convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the attempted murder and death by hanging for murder.
Dissatisfied, he challenged the verdict before the Court of Appeal in Lagos, but the appeal was thrown out.
Justice Fatimo Akinbami, who read the judgment, said: “I hereby rule that the prosecution effectively discharged the burden of proof on it.
“This appeal is devoid of any basis and accordingly fails.
“The judgment of the High Court is hereby affirmed and the conviction imposed on the appellant, (which is death by hanging) is also affirmed.”
Other members of the panel- Justices Amina Augie and Ibrahim Saulawa- concurred with the judgment.
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