Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal is to rule at a latter date on whether or not to admit additional grounds of evidence filed by Rev. Emeka Ezeugo, a.k.a. Rev King, the embattled General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA), Lagos, presently challenging his death sentence for killing a member of his church. Rev. King who was convicted January 2007 for killing a lady, member of his church, Miss Ann Uzor Ezeugo, is praying the appellate court to set aside the death sentence imposed on him by Justice Joseph Oyewole of the Ikeja High Court, Lagos.
The court's ruling was sequel to the argument canvassed by his lawyer, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, and the state counsel, moment they adopted their written addresses.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Dalhatu Adamu, the court held that the date for the ruling on the application to introduce additional grounds of appeal would be forwarded to all the parties in the suit. King, who is currently held in Kuje Prisons, Abuja, was on January 11, 2007, sentenced to death by hanging for murder, in addition to a 100 year jail term on 5 counts of murder, setting members of his church on fire and for allegedly committing fornication, an act which led to the death of one of them, Ann Uzoh King.
King in his notice of appeal prayed the appellate court to strike out all the six counts preffered against him at the trial court, and to reverse his convictions. Besides, he urged the court to order his discharge and acquittal from the counts levelled against him.
The counsel argued that the trial judge erred in law by assuming jurisdiction over the case when the six-count charge against him was not dated and that the trial judge failed to consider the adduced evidence in relation to all the counts and to make a finding on whether each count had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.
He noted that based on expert opinion it was impossible for him to pour petrol on the late Ann Uzoh King as alleged by the prosecution without getting burnt. King further stated that the trial judge erred in law when he held that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt the burning incident that occurred on the night of Saturday, July 22, 2006; and that the convict planned to kill the burnt victims, who are his church members.
, by pouring petrol and throwing a lit match on them.According to the appeal, the trial judge, Justice Oyewole, erred in law in believing and accepting the evidence led by the prosecution (Lagos State Ministry of Justice) before considering the evidence led by the defence.