Winners Chapel pastor gets death sentence for killing landlord

The Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced a 29-year-old resident pastor of Living Faith Church, popularly known as Winners Chapel, Ifa Ikot Ubo–Ifa Ikot Okpon Branch, Uyo, Prince Emmanuel Umoh, to death by hanging for the murder of his landlord, Gabriel Bassey Edward.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, February 19, 2026, Justice Gabriel Ette convicted Umoh for stabbing Edward to death on December 21, 2020, at Ifa Ikot Ubo in Uyo.

Facts of the case

The late Gabriel Bassey Edward, a 500-level Civil Engineering student of the University of Uyo, had relocated to his late mother’s property at Ifa Ikot Ubo to safeguard the estate and live closer to school.

Before her death in December 2019, Edward’s mother had established a nursery school on the property. Edward lived in a two-bedroom flat attached to a large hall within the compound alongside his younger brother, Emmanuel Edward Bassey.

The hall, originally built for school activities, was later rented to Living Faith Church for worship services at an annual rent of N150,000, with the consent of Edward’s father, Emana Bassey Edward, a retired school principal. The church was permitted to commence use of the hall before full payment of the rent.

Prince Emmanuel Umoh was subsequently posted to the branch as its pioneer resident pastor.

Events leading to the murder

Evidence before the court showed that on December 21, 2020, the defendant was seen entering the deceased’s compound. Neighbours later reported hearing screams of “Jesus” from inside the premises.

Shortly afterwards, the defendant emerged wearing a white garment stained with blood, claiming he had fallen while attempting to hang a banner.

Edward was not seen alive again.

On December 26, 2020, a day after Christmas, his decomposing body was discovered in his room, wrapped in a mat with multiple stab wounds. A butcher’s knife was found beside him.

As the last person seen with the deceased, and with unexplained bloodstains on his clothing, the defendant was arrested and charged with murder.

Prosecution’s case

Umoh was arraigned on December 6, 2021, on a one-count charge of murder. He pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution called six witnesses, including the deceased’s father, Emana Bassey Edward, who testified as the first prosecution witness (PW1).

PW1 told the court that shortly after the church began operations, the defendant requested permission to store church chairs and other items inside the deceased’s flat for security reasons, as the hall lacked doors and windows. The request was granted.

However, the arrangement later became problematic. Whenever the defendant needed access to church property kept in the flat, the deceased—often away—had to return home to grant access, incurring transportation costs that were not refunded. Following complaints, PW1 directed his son to give the defendant a spare key to ease access.

The prosecution presented evidence that after the key was handed over, items belonging to the deceased’s late mother—including clothes, plates and other valuables—began to go missing. The defendant, who had the spare key, became a suspect.

When confronted, he claimed he had lost the key. The matter was reported to the church’s senior pastor, Owoidoho Etuk Akpan, who later testified as a defence witness and provided N5,000 to enable the deceased change the locks. According to evidence before the court, no further items went missing after the locks were replaced.

Tensions subsequently arose between the deceased and the defendant over the handling of rent money reportedly paid for the use of the hall and intended for repairs.

Court’s findings and judgment

In a detailed judgment that lasted over two hours, Justice Gabriel Ette described the case as “very sympathetic,” recalling the efforts of the deceased’s late mother to build and develop the property for educational purposes before her death.

The court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

In sentencing the defendant, Justice Ette condemned the act, noting the irony of a religious leader taking a life within church premises.

“Life is sacred, and those who represent God on earth should teach that. It is an irony and quite appalling when a man who claims to be the representative of the divine on earth stoops so low as to denigrate the very essence of his calling and take someone’s life on church premises,” the judge held.

He added that individuals who betray public trust in such a manner pose a danger to society and must face the full weight of the law.

“Having found you guilty as charged, I hereby sentence you to death by hanging,” the court declared.

Conclusion of trial

The judgment concludes six years of prosecution by the state, led by Ini-Obong Essang, an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Justice.

The conviction brings to an end a protracted legal battle over the death of a promising young engineering student whose academic results, released posthumously, showed he graduated with First Class honours.