In a much awaited judgement in the murder trial of Defendants allegedly complicit in late Barr Godwin Ikoiwak’s murder, a State counsel in the employ of Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice, an Akwa Ibom State High court sitting in Uyo, the State capital has convicted and sentenced to prison Mrs. Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak, alongside her aged mother, her sister, as well as Dr Imoh Johnson and Rev Father Gabriel Ekong of St. Luke’s hospital Anua.
It would be recalled that the state filed a case against Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak in 2022 for allegedly murdering her husband, the late Barr Goodwin Ikoiwak. Charged along with her was her mother and sister. Others who were also charged are Rev. Father Gabriel Ekong, Dr. Imoh Johnson and Dr Isaac Njoku, all of St Luke’s hospital, Anua Uyo.
After postmortem examination by Dr. Emeka Nwafor – a Histopathologist, the deceased was said to have died of poisoning from ingested Organophosphate (popularly referred to as Ota piapia) in the house of his mother-in-law (2nd Defendant) 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.
Rev Father Mbeke, a popular Catholic priest in Nigeria, was said to have called Rev Father Gabriel Ekong, the Administrator of St Luke’s hospital to receive the corpse. Father Gabriel Ekong then instructed Dr Imoh Johnson – 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 Rev Father Mbeke sought the assistance of Rev Father Gabriel Ekong, the administrator of the hospital, to cover up the fact that the husband died in the mother’s house at Nung Udoe Itak.
According to the court, her explanation was to forestall problem with the husband’s family whom she said she had a very frosty relationship with. The trial Judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang after reviewing the history of the case, evidence of witnesses, Exhibits, submissions of the Prosecution and Defence, in a detailed judgement which lasted for two hours forty minutes, dealt with the issues for determination which mainly centered on whether the prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt as canvassed by the defense, and the insistence by the prosecution that it has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
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It was a case of win some and lost some as the judge convicted 5 of the 6 Defendants while the 6th Defendant – Dr Isaac Njoku was discharged and acquitted on the two count charges of Accessory after the fact and conspiracy preferred against him.
The first Defendant Mrs. Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak – the wife of the deceased, second Defendant – the mother in-law and third Defendant – the sister in-law, were charged on Count 1- Conspiracy to murder, punishable under Section 331 of the Criminal Code, laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2000.
They were also charged on Count – 2 Murder punishable Section 326 sub 1 of the Criminal Code, cap 38, volume 2, laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2000, and Count 3 – Accessory after the fact of murder punishable under section 558 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, volume 2, laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2000.
Dr Imoh Johnson and Rev Father Gabriel Ekong Of St. Luke’s hospital Annua 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 2 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.
While Abasieseabanga was convicted on the charge of Conspiracy and sentenced to two years in prison commencing from February 18, 2022 she was acquitted on the charge of murder. Her mother and sister – Mrs 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 present last with the deceased shortly before his death.
On the call log analysis by the Department of State Service (DSS) which pointed to a flurry of conversations back and forth between Abasieseabanga – the wife, Rev Father Mbeke, Rev Father Gabriel Ekong , and her sisters 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.
Interestingly, the judge pointed to the fact that Rev Father Mbeke call to the Administrator of St. Luke’s hospital happened on the 19th day of February while the deceased died the following day which was 20th.
However, Justice Nkanang said that their reduced sentences is because they were first offenders, and according to His Lordship, there is a de-emphasis on capital punishment by State laws. He also said that his decision is also informed by age and state of health of the second Defendant, and the fact that the third Defendant had a few days old baby at the time of the incident.
Speaking after the Judgement, counsel to 4th defendant Effiong Abia told journalists that he intends to appeal the judgment which convicted his client Dr Imoh Johnson and sentenced him to two years in prison for issuing false document as a public officer, insisting that the Judge ought to have look into whether his client had prior knowledge that the information on which he issued the documents were false.
Also, the family of late Barr. Godwin Ikoiwak has expressed displeasure over the judgement.
Speaking on behalf of the family, a friend to the deceased , Mr Sunny Anyawu who the late Barr. Godwin 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. Again 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.
A total of 18 witnesses were called throughout the entire proceeding.
The prosecution called twelve, while the defence called 6 witnesses. 51 Exhibits were identified, tendered and admitted.The State has already served notice of Appeal.
Additional Background Information
On 2/25/24, wife of the deceased opened defence, confessed to asking Doctor for help to alter Medical Report.
The team defending the six persons charged with the murder of late lawyer, Barr Godwin Ikoiwak – a state counsel with the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice commenced their defense with the wife of the late lawyer Mrs Abasiesebanga Godwin Ikoiwak as defense witness number one. This followed the close of prosecution’s case after several witnesses and no less than 34 Exhibits were admitted.
The prosecution team, led by the Director of Public Prosecution in Akwa Ibom State – Barr Joseph Umoren concluded a long and detailed cross-examination of the wife of the wife in the husband’s murder, last week.
Five other accused persons are standing trial for murder, complicity and conspiracy in the death. They include the mother-in-law Mrs Margaret Patrick Umoh – 2nd accuse, Owoidoho Patrick Umoh, sister-inl-aw – 3rd accuse.
Others are Dr Imoh Johnson – a medical doctor, Rev Fr. Gabriel Ekong – Administrator, and and Dr. Isaac Njoku, all of the St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua, Uyo. Two other accused persons still at large are Udeme Patrick Umoh and Isaiah Gideon Isaiah.
Barr Godwin Ikoiwak is said to have died in the house of the mother inlaw at Nnung Udoe Itak in Ikono LGA where he visited. The first accuse narrated that the husband had Asthma attack while at her mother’s house while she was at Calabar. She is a Registrar with the Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal. A job she said she got with the help of the late husband.
In her statement to the police and the DSS, and in her evidence in chief, she stated that the husband died at the mother’s residence after which she gave instructions to convey the remains to St Luke’s Hospital Anua and to register the corpse in her name. This, according to her, was after several telephone conversations with Rev Father Maurice Mbeke – her Parish Priest, who in turn spoke with, and instructed the leadership of St. Luke’s Hospital accordingly.
Under cross-examination, the wife admitted that throughout the period of her husband’s alleged health crises between 19th and 20th January 2022 when the husband died, she did not contact any of his relatives, while she was in regular telephone conversation with her mother, sisters, mechanic and Rev Fr Mbeke.
She gave her reason that, “yes My Lord, because those are the people that were around Uyo to be of help.” However, when asked if the brother to the late husband, Enobong Ikoiwak lives at Wellington Bassey Way, which she said she visited twice, she responded “yes my lord.”
Surprisingly, she responded that no medical attention was given to the husband throughout the period of the alleged health (Asthma) attack leading up to his death, even as she told court that one of the sisters to the late husband is a medical doctor, who according to her, made anti Asthma prescription for the brother in 2019 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Curiously, her admission that there was no attempt to even get the late husband to some of the medical facilities closest to Nnung Udoe Itak, such as St. Theresa’s Hospital, Use Abat, the Handmaid Hospital run by Catholic sisters and doctors, and the high brow Ibom Specialists Hospital rather than St Luke’s which is no less than 10 kilometers away, raised many unanswered question.
Though most of her responses were consistent with her statement to the police and the DSS, she confessed that she sought the help of the 4th defendant – Dr Imoh Johnson, to write in his report that the husband died in St Luke’s Hospital.
Here is how she puts it:
Question (DPP)
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“In your statement to the DSS, you said that Dr Imoh Johnson demanded (#100,000.00) One hundred thousand naira, but you gave him Five thousand naira (5,000.00). Why was he demanding a hundred thousand naira and what was the Five thousand naira meant for?”
Answer (1st Defendant)
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“When I told him that my husband died at home….and when I told him because of the circumstances I found myself, and the family of my husband will not take it kindly with me, he should please help me and state that my husband died here. He demanded a Hundred Thousand Naira, I said I don’t have. He said that I should pay #5,000 Naira for Death Certificate. That was why I gave him the amount.”
