Posted by By Felix Nnamdi /Abuja & Eromosele Ebhomele on
Should the appeal filed by the self-proclaimed Jesus of our time, Reverend Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a. Rev. King, against the death sentence passed on him by a Lagos High Court fail, the hangman's noose is already waiting for him at the Kaduna prisons.
Should the appeal filed by the self-proclaimed Jesus of our time, Reverend Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a. Rev. King, against the death sentence passed on him by a Lagos High Court fail, the hangman's noose is already waiting for him at the Kaduna prisons.
Authoritative prisons sources in Abuja, confirmed to P.M.News, this morning, that Rev. King, founder of Christian Praying Assembly (CPA), is to be transferred from Kuje prison, Abuja, to Kaduna prison, 'because it is the only prison with a functional execution gallow in the country'.
The officials said they were moving Rev. King to Kaduna so that he could face the maximum punishment if his appeal failed in the court. Prisons officials at Kuje said thousands of members of his church have thronged the prison to see him for miracles and blessing.
P.M.News gathered that some members of his church sometimes wait for days to see him.
This, it was learnt, made the prison authorities to ban him from praying or conducting prayer sessions in prison.
Hearing in his appeal, which has started at the Appeal Court, will continue on 19 November.
On Thursday, 11 January, 2007, Rev. King was sentenced to death by hanging and 100 years imprisonment by an Ikeja High Court, presided by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, for spraying six members of his congregation with petrol and setting them ablaze. This led to the death of one of his members, Ann Uzor.
Trouble started when Rev. King became suspicious of one of his members, believed to be one of his sex slaves, Ann Uzor. He was said to have accused her of being unfaithful to him and set her ablaze to serve as punishment.
King was also accused of inhuman treatment, including flogging of his church members and causing them to pay an average of N25,000 when they disturbed church proceedings. He was also said to have hypnotised members of his congregation who saw him as the saviour, and worshipped him.
Reading his judgement, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole stated:' I have considered the entire circumstance of this case. Religious fundamentalism of the basest type that gave rise to the offences for which the accused was found guilty has never done the society any good.
'The variant demonstrated by the accused is a throw-back to the dark ages and an assault to the gains attained by humanity in the area of respect for human dignity, freedom and liberty.'
King, who claimed he was not afraid to die, said it was a privilege. He was recently transferred to Kuje Prisons, Abuja, from the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, in Lagos, where he was alleged to have continued to organise prayer sessions for his members.