An Akwa Ibom State High court sitting in Uyo, the state capital, has convicted Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak, her aged mother, Margaret Patrick Umoh and sister, Owoidoho Patrick Umoh, as well as Imoh Johnson, a medical doctor and Gabriel Ekong, a Catholic priest of St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua, Uyo for the murder of late Godwin Ikoiwak, a lawyer in the employ of the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice.
The sentence came after the state filed a case against Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak in 2022, for allegedly murdering her husband, late Goodwin Ikoiwak, suspectedly aided by her mother and sister. Others also charged are Gabriel Ekong, a Catholic priest and Imoh Johnson and Isaac Njoku, two medical doctors of St Luke’s hospital, Anua Uyo.
The court is said to have considered in evidence, a post motem carried out on the deceased by Emeka Nwafor – a Histo pathologist, which revealed that the deceased died of poisoning from ingested Organophosphate (popularly referred to as Ota-piapia) in the house of his mother in-law at Nung Udoe Itak on the outskirts of Uyo metropolis where he went on a visit. The corpse was also reported to have unexplained physical injuries on the left eye socket, neck and wrist.
A popular Catholic priest in Nigeria, simply identified as Rev Father Mbeke, is said to have called Gabriel Ekong, priest and Administrator of St Luke’s Hospital to receive Ikoiwak’s corpse. Ekong then instructed Imoh Johnson, a medical doctor employed by St Luke’s Hospital, to open a file, issue a medical report and death certificate, which falsely claimed that the deceased was admitted and treated for asthma before he died at the hospital. Evidence in court showed that the wife and first defendant Abasieseabanga, who was not present when the husband was murdered, had on the instruction of Mbeke sought the assistance of Ekong, the administrator of the hospital, to cover up the fact that the husband died in her mother’s house at Nung Udoe Itak.
Her explanation that her husband died in the hospital and not in her mother’s place, the court found out, was to forestall any problems with the husband’s family whom she reportedly had a very frosty relationship with.
The trial Judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, in a judgement lasting two hours, forty minutes, convicted five of the defendants while the sixth defendant, Isaac Njoku was discharged and acquitted on the two count charge of accessory and conspiracy preferred against him.
Abasieseabanga was convicted on the charge of Conspiracy and sentenced to two years in prison commencing from February 18, 2022, but acquitted on the charge of murder. Her mother and sister, Margaret Patrick Umoh and Owoidoho Patrick Umoh respectively, were convicted for murder and Conspiracy; and sentenced to 10 years each. The judge pointed out that the second and third Defendants were caught in the web of “doctrine of last seen”, being the people who were last present with the deceased shortly before his death.
Imoh Johnson and Gabriel Ekong of St. Luke’s Hospital Anua, were charged on two count of Conspiracy to commit unlawful purpose in count 1V, punishable under Section 556(1)(f) of the Criminal Code cap 38, volume II laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2000. And (Count 5) Issuance of false certificate by Public Officer punishable under Section 109 of the Criminal Code, cap 38 volume 2, laws of Akwa Ibom State 2000.
On the call log analysis by the Department of State Service, DSS, which revealed a flurry of back and forth conversations between Abasieseabanga, two Catholic priests, Mbeke and Gabriel Ekong as well as her sister within the very period prior to and shortly after the death of the late State counsel, the judge held that there was no evidence to show that their conversations had to do with the deceased, and that their conversations may have been about any other thing.
Remarkably, the trial judge said that the reduced sentences of the convicts is because they were first offenders, and the state currently de-emphasizes capital punishment as contained in the state laws.
He also said that his decision is also informed by age and state of health of the deceased mother in-law and the fact too that the third defendant and sister in-law had a few days old baby at the time of the incident.
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased lawyer, has expressed dissatisfaction and displeasure over the judgement. Speaking on behalf of the family, a friend to the deceased, Sunny Anyawu who the late Ikoiwak had called to inform that he was going to the wife’s village in Ikono to report the paternity issue of his children, and which telephone conversation was admitted as exhibit, said that was not the judgement they expected.
Explaining further, he held that the judgment raised many questions than answers. He queried why Rev Father Mbeke at the center of arranging the admission of the corpse as if alive, and falsification of documents by hospital authorities was not arrested and charged. He also wondered if murderers must murder another person to pass the threshold of “first offenders” before the law takes course.
The State has been served a notice of appeal.
Originally reported by Ndon Asian from AKS.
