The call for the release of Chukwuemeka Ezeugo also known as Reverend King is increasing daily.
The first demand was made about three weeks ago by a Non Governmental Organisation, Paths of Peace Initiative, PPI.
Its President, Maverick Dandy Eze had petitioned Governor of Lagos State to immediately release Rev. King, currently in Maiduguri prison condemned to death since 2006 for the death of one of his female worshippers.
This time, the human rights group incorporated in Nigeria to function as a front with the mandate of fighting for those suffering injustice is now appealing on behalf of the clergyman.
He spoke on his intervention during an interview.
Below is the excerpts;
Why are you fighting for a condemned man?
We are a human rights group incorporated in Nigerian to function as a front which is committed to fighting for the rights of the oppressed, the abused, the helpless and hapless Nigerians, who may have suffered injustice in the hands of men in positions of authority in both public and private sectors of the country.
The existence of our organisation predates 2006 when Rev. King allegedly committed the offence. We were also in the forefront of calls for appropriate punishment to be meted on him if found guilty, after the story blew open. We have also followed keenly developments on the case until he was condemned to death.
However, we have also seen many other developments in the country since then. These ugly developments includes, but not limited to the gruesome killings, kidnapping, banditry etc that have bedeviled the entire country.
We are appalled that the powers that be have wittingly or unwittingly allowed most of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes in the country to get away freely with their atrocities. Many of them including members of the dreaded insurgent terror group that have made this country a pariah state have not only been granted pardon but equipped with resources to start life afresh.
Did you not hear about the shocking story of one of our gallant soldiers who was crippled after the wounds he received in the war fronts while fighting Boko Haram insurgents only for him to survive and come home to be confronted with the lavish treatment given the same insurgents that inflicted the wounds on him? These were the same criminals that killed almost all his colleagues that were at the battle front with him in Borno State now being feted and pardoned to go home and sin no more.
The same sordid story was replicated in Lagos State with the release and pardon granted both armed robbers and suspected killers of our democratic heroine, Kudirat Abiola. Then, in good conscience and human consideration, why are they still keeping Rev King in prison after 15 years? This is more so when he is known to have continued to plead innocent of the crime. We strongly feel that he deserves freedom now and not tomorrow.
Are you therefore saying that based on these your assertions, all serving and condemned criminals in Nigeria must be released?
No, far from it, equity and justice demands that as issues arise, they must be treated purely on their merit or demerit. In the first place, is it right for the criminals and killers I mentioned to be freed? All cases must be treated on its merit or demerit.
In the case of Reverend King, there was an uproarious public trial even before his condemnation not withstanding that he kept on pleading innocent of the crime.
However, after his condemnation and the delay in carrying out his execution for 15 years, coupled with the shocking and condemnable posture of government over deadly criminals, it is not out of place for such a case to be reviewed and possibly treated with his continued insistence that he did not commit the crime.
There were even stories that the female victim confessed in her statement with the police before she died that Rev. King was not responsible for what happened to her. Every other witness in the case reportedly made statements on police statement papers but after the death of the victim, police quickly used ordinary foolscap papers to frame a lie in order to prove that they did a thorough investigation. Even the finger print on that statement paper is not that of the victim. In fact, there were so many inconsistencies and frame-ups but unfortunately, the law court did not recognise these and ended up condemning him to death.
It is noteworthy to say that immediately after his condemnation to death, Rev. King made a prophetic statement to his lawyer. He reportedly told him that if his hands are clean, God will expose those that judged him wrongly. I would like to state without fear of contradiction that his prophetic statement came to pass six months after with the faith that befell his traducers later.
What is the way out now?
The way out is for government to, not only grant Rev. King freedom but, release him unconditionally without delay. Also, I think there is a provision in law that after 15 years, the fate of condemned people can be reviewed. It is in this regard that we are calling for his immediate release. What is worth doing is worth doing well. It is better for a million criminals to be freed than one innocent man to be condemned.
Previously:
Group Calls For The Release Of Reverend King
https://casefileng.com/2021/05/10/group-calls-for-the-release-of-reverend-king/
