Posted by By OLA AGBAJE and LUKMON OLABIYI on
A prosecution witness, Vivian Ezeocha broke down in tears on Monday while narrating how she and other victims were allegedly set on fire on July 22 by the founder and General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA), Emeka Ezeugo, a.k.a. Rev. King.
A prosecution witness, Vivian Ezeocha broke down in tears on Monday while narrating how she and other victims were allegedly set on fire on July 22 by the founder and General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA), Emeka Ezeugo, a.k.a. Rev. King.
Ezeocha, described as a close friend of the late Ann Uzor over whose death Rev King is standing trial for murder, was the first prosecution witness in the matter before Justice Joseph Oyewole of Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Bola Ighile, Ezeocha who was allegedly slapped by Rev. King in a Magistrate Court, told the court her heart rending experience: 'He (King) said he was above the law and that he would kill us and nobody would know," she said amidst tears.
'He ordered Kelechi (another member of the church) to pour fuel on us and he struck the first match stick, it failed. He struck the second one and it caught fire. Ann Uzor (late) was by my side and we started running. When the fire was burning Ann and others, he (King) was looking at us.
'As I was running, Ann was following me until she fell and could not get up to run again. She was there burning from head to toe. I hid myself in a place, watching in pains.
'He later dragged Ann to a tap water and opened the tap water on her. Ann started begging him that she was not fornicating with anybody, explaining that she was having her period."
Asked to explain how she got to King's presence on that day, the witness told the court that it was Kelechi that came to call her to see King in his sitting room.
Ezeocha explained further that when she got to the sitting room, King accused her of fornicating with one OC in the church, threatening that if she denied, she would be killed.
Consequently, the witness said she admitted to the allegation out of fear of being killed.
Testifying further, she said King warned OC not to come to his office again, saying: 'You're living in my house and you go outside to fornicate. You have penis at home, you still went outside to ask for another one when you can ask from me to give to you."
Giving further testimony, Ezeocha said King had been brutalising them by beating them mercilessly with iron rod over unfounded allegations.
'I know he (King) is not a missioner because when I told him lies he would believe but when I told him truth he would not believe. So any time he asked me to mention names of those who are fornicating, I always mentioned names of those who have left the church," she said.
She said that at a stage on the fateful day, King had asked her to mention those who were still in the church which prompted her to mention Chiejine. 'He ordered for Chiejine. When Chiejine came, he ordered Kelechi and OC to beat him.
'He beat Chiejine with a pincer on the head and when blood started coming out, Chiejine started calling names. That was how Ann Uzor and others came in."
Testifying further, the witness said King then ordered Kelechi to get fuel for him. 'When she brought the fuel we were still begging him in his sitting room.
'Then he said he would have burnt us inside the sitting room but he would not like the fire to affect his property. He ordered us outside the sitting room but still within the premises, with all the entrances locked," she said.
She further told the court that King had told them that he was Jesus that died and resurrected and that they must believe anything he said as the truth.