Posted by By Kayode Ketefe on
A witness and former member of the Christian Praying Assembly, Ajao Estate, Lagos, Miss Jessica Iwene, on Monday told an Ikeja High Court that the church's General Overseer, Emeka Ezeuko, aka Rev. King raped her under the pretext that he was preventing her from going to hell.
A witness and former member of the Christian Praying Assembly, Ajao Estate, Lagos, Miss Jessica Iwene, on Monday told an Ikeja High Court that the church's General Overseer, Emeka Ezeuko, aka Rev. King raped her under the pretext that he was preventing her from going to hell.
Iwene, an Accounting graduate from the University of Benin, said this in her evidence-in-chief before the presiding Justice Joseph Oyewole.
The witness, who claimed that she joined the church in February 2005, was led in evidence by the prosecution lawyer, Mrs. Bola Okikiolu-Ighile.
King is facing a six-count charge of murder of a member of his church, Miss Ann Uzor, and the attempted murder of five other members.
The offences are contrary to Sections 316 and 320 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C Vol.2 Laws of Lagos State, 2003.
The late Uzor was one of the seven victims King had allegedly set ablaze after pouring jerry cans of petrol on them on July 22, 2006.
Iwene said King forced her to confess between July 20 to 22, 2006, that she was guilty of some weird offences she knew noting about. These include admission of being a witch and that she committed fornication with other members of the church.
The witness said, 'The accused (King) ordered members of the 'information group" to beat me up. He said the beating would continued until I confess that I was a witch. I was forced to confess that I am a witch and that I used to fly in the air."
She added that after King forced her to confess that she committed fornication with some members of the church, the accused later offered to protect her from gong to hell. This, he allegedly said, could be done by sleeping with her.
Iwene also said that, 'When I got to his place upon his invitation, he said after all he had done for me since I joined his church, I was a shame that I would still go to hell since i committed fornication. He added that in order to save me from going to hell, he was prepared to sacrifice himself."
The two witnesses were later cross-examined by King's lawyer, Mr. Mike Okoye, Justice Oyewole consequently adjourned the matter till Tuesday.