How Court Convicted Wife, Mother, Sister, Doctor, Catholic Priest Over Lawyer’s Death
Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak
An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has convicted Mrs. Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak, alongside her aged mother and sister, as well as Dr. Imoh Johnson and Rev. Father Gabriel Ekong of St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua, over the murder of late Barr. Godwin Ikoiwak, a lawyer with the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice.
Delivering a judgment that lasted over two hours, the presiding judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, convicted Mrs. Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak (the deceased’s wife), her mother, Mrs. Margaret Patrick Umoh, and sister, Miss Owoidoho Patrick Umoh, as well as Rev. Fr. Gabriel Ekong and Dr. Imoh Johnson, both of St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua, Uyo.
CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE BELOW AFTER THESE IMPORTANT NOTICES
Log in to primsol.lawpavilion.com and store.lawpavilion.com to enjoy the best E-journals, textbooks, and many more. For further enquiries/assistance, send an email to customercare@lawpavilion.com or call 08050298729
The court, however, discharged and acquitted the sixth defendant, Dr. Isaac Njoku, also of St. Luke’s Hospital, on charges of conspiracy and accessory after the fact.
The prosecution, led by the Akwa Ibom State Government, had filed the suit in 2022 following the mysterious death of Barrister Ikoiwak, a lawyer with the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice. Investigations revealed that he died after ingesting a poisonous substance—identified as organophosphate—at the residence of his mother-in-law in Nung Udoe Itak, on the outskirts of Uyo.
A post-mortem examination conducted by Dr. Emeka Nwafor, a histopathologist, showed that the deceased had also sustained injuries to his left eye socket, neck, and wrist. The autopsy formed a critical part of the prosecution’s evidence.
According to court records, Rev. Father Mbeke, a prominent Catholic priest, had allegedly contacted Rev. Father Gabriel Ekong to assist in concealing the circumstances surrounding the lawyer’s death. Fr. Ekong, in turn, instructed Dr. Johnson to open a hospital file, issue a medical report, and prepare a death certificate falsely stating that the deceased died from an asthma attack after being treated at St. Luke’s Hospital.
Justice Nkanang found that the wife of the deceased, although not physically present at the time of death, participated in the subsequent cover-up. Her claim that she acted to avoid conflict with her late husband’s family was rejected by the court.
Mrs. Abasieseabanga Ikoiwak was convicted of conspiracy to murder and sentenced to two years in prison, effective from February 18, 2022. She was acquitted on the murder charge.
Mrs. Margaret Patrick Umoh (mother-in-law) and Miss Owoidoho Patrick Umoh (sister-in-law) were found guilty of conspiracy and murder and each sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. The judge relied on the “doctrine of last seen” as both were the last known persons with the deceased.
Rev. Fr. Gabriel Ekong and Dr. Imoh Johnson were convicted of conspiracy to commit an unlawful act and issuance of false documents. Each received a sentence of two years imprisonment.
In sentencing, Justice Nkanang considered the defendants’ status as first-time offenders and the current de-emphasis on capital punishment. He also cited the age and health of the mother-in-law and the fact that the sister-in-law had just given birth at the time of the incident.
The court rejected claims that call logs presented by the Department of State Services (DSS) — showing communication between the wife, her relatives, and the priests — directly implicated them in the murder plot.
Defence counsel for Dr. Imoh Johnson, Barr. Effiong Abia, stated his intention to appeal the judgment, arguing that the court failed to consider whether his client had prior knowledge of the falsehood in the documents he issued.
The family of the deceased, through a representative, Mr. Sunny Anyanwu, expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict, particularly the lenient sentences and the exclusion of Rev. Fr. Mbeke from the list of charged defendants.
“We are deeply disappointed,” Anyanwu said. “The judgment raises more questions than it answers. Why was the priest who initiated the cover-up not arraigned? Does one have to kill more than once before being disqualified as a ‘first offender’?”
The prosecution confirmed that the state has already filed a Notice of Appeal.
A total of 18 witnesses testified during the trial, 12 for the prosecution and 6 for the defence. Fifty-one exhibits were admitted as evidence.
FOR SUPPORT TO BARRISTERNG BLOG, DONATE TO: 1. NAIRA ACCOUNT: 1023046978 - UBA 2. USD ACCOUNT: 5090743566 - FIDELITY BANK PLC
Call Bridget Edokwe Esq on 08060798767 or send your articles to barristerngblog@gmail.com
A Must-Have for Every Lawyer: Order Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye’s Latest Books on Electronic Evidence Today: To order your copies, click the link below and order directly from the author:
https://velvety-cendol-7387ed.netlify.app/
SHOP NOW
The Price is 10k for Hard Copy less freight and 5k for E- Book copy in the Store of the Website. https://buokorie.com/store/ To access the hard copy, Call - 07087622283
