Not long ago, news broke about the alleged murder of a legal practitioner, Godwin Ikoiwak, by his wife Abasiesebanga Ikoiwak, also a lawyer and staff member of the Court of Appeal Calabar Division.
The 41-year-old Ikoiwak was until his death a staff member of the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice.
Although trial has commenced at the High Court of Justice in Uyo, Law & Society gathered that in what is apparently an attempt to scuttle the case of the state prosecution against six Defendants standing trial for the murder of the late principal state counsel, two important documents have gone missing in the Court’s file. Meanwhile, two other suspects, Udeme Patrick Umoh and Isaiah Gideon Isaiah are still at large.
The documents are a copy of the downloaded WhatsApp conversation between the fourth defendant – Dr. Imoh Johnson and the sixth defendant – Dr. Isaac Njoku, both of the St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua Uyo; and the Investigation Officer’s report by the DSS.
These documents were said to have been served on parties who admitted same in their possession. The discovery that the said documents were missing came last month when the prosecution sought to tender them through the DSS officer who investigated the matter.
The initial assumption was that they may have been misplaced in the course of moving court files to a nearby court Hall to create room for the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The matter was then adjourned to May 2, 2023, to enable the clerks of court search for them.
The prosecution led by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Barr David Umoren had earlier hinted that failure to locate the documents by the next adjourned date, the state will be left with the option of tendering the CTC of the ones in the DSS file.
The WhatsApp conversation had indicated that three defendants – Dr. Imoh Johnson, Rev Father Gabriel Ekong, and Dr. Isaac Njoku of St. Luke’s Hospital were aware that the deceased died outside the hospital when they conspired to create a hospital record to indicate that he died in the hospital following treatment for asthma.
The conversation also indicated that they deliberately shopped for a pliant nurse codenamed “Ette” who will make false statements to the police at Ikot Akpanabia after the first nurse refused to comply.
Here are extracts from the conversation:
DR ISAAC NJOKU at 7.58 pm:
“Good evening doc. I spoke with father and he said you should hold on that the woman will call you and finalize the discussion. She is trying to see if she can find another nurse who can bear that title ette and testify to the police.”
DR IMOH JOHNSON replied by 8.27 pm:
“I called him and told I’m not proceeding further. I’m in damage control mode now.”
DR NJOKU two minutes later by 8.29 pm:
“ok, but has the woman called you?”
DR IMO JOHNSON:
“Yes. She is saying she’ll work.”
There are two DSS reports. The first is dated May 25, 2022, and titled:
INVESTIGATION OFFICER’S REPORT ON THE DEATH OF GODWIN AKPAN IKOIWAK ESQ. while the second is dated June 10, 2022, and titled:
INVESTIGATION OFFICER’S REPORT ON THE REQUEST TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE DEATH OF GODWIN IKOIWAK BY THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AKWA IBOM STATE.
Both reports are reportedly thorough and contain detailed call data analysis of the deceased and his wife Abasiesebanga Ikoiwak telephone conversation “to ascertain locations, contacts, and communications between the deceased, his wife, and the management of St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua Uyo as well as the GSM numbers of relatives and associates of both the deceased and his wife, from 19th January 2022 through 27th April 2022.” Both reports totaled 27 pages in all (14 & 13 respectively)
Some of the facts revealed by the call data analysis included that, on January 20, 2022, the wife of the deceased did not only send text messages to Rev Father Maurice Mbeke but that the duo had also exchanged lengthy calls.
When the matter came up on May 2nd, 2023 and it was certain that these documents were not in the court’s file, the state tendered their CTC but the defense opposed their admissibility as exhibits. The state insisted that having not denied being served and its authenticity, and having been duly certified, the court should admit the documents as exhibits.
Ruling on its admissibility or otherwise has been adjourned to June.
According to a Facebook post made by the deceased University of Calabar classmates —Justice4Bugzy, on 22 September 2022: “The chemical known as ORGANOPHOSPHATE particularly DIMETHOATE is used as an insecticide/nerve agent and it is a very powerful and toxic weapon. It is the paramount composition of the popular rat poison called ‘Sniper.’
“When used as a weapon and administered on a person, it poisons the system within seconds, one would typically experience increased saliva and tear production, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, sweating, muscle tremors, weakness, and asphyxiation, the state of oxygen deprivation at this point death is certain.
“Autopsy revealed that the above-named toxic substance formed the content of his stomach causing his death. He was held down, bound hands and feet and thoroughly beaten, then forced to ingest this deadly substance and the people he loved and cared for and called his in-laws watched him struggle like a rat in pain until he died the most painful, heartbreaking, lonely and gruesome death.
“The brutal and senseless murder of this young man was perpetrated by a congregation of conscientious less inhuman characters who planned and amateurly executed this heinous crime in order to cover up a DIRTY FAMILY SECRET.
The level of wickedness exhibited by this horrible family and their co-conspirators exemplifies a mental disregard for justice, righteousness, truth, honor, virtue; evil in thought and life; depravity; and ultimately criminality.
“This woman watched and supervised her husband’s death without even imagining for one second the magnitude of the repercussion that is now her reality.
“Bugzy’s murderers will never escape the hammer of justice.
Every single person who participated in this transaction will face the full extent of the law and will be punished according to his/her role. There is no hiding place for the wicked and all evildoers.
“We are awake to the knowledge that every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
“The quest for #justice4baugzy is an unending drive, a solemn promise, and action by a fine country of his loved ones from all over the world. There is no rest until JUSTICE IS DONE AND IS SEEN TO HAVE BEEN DONE.
Bugzy lives on….”
A friend and classmate of the deceased at the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Barrister Sunny Anyanwu informed an Uyo High Court the deceased told him in a phone conversation days before his death that he and his wife, Barrister Abasiesebanga Ikoiwak were having issues over infidelity.
He said the deceased hinted him that he reported the matter to his wife’s family who invited him to a meeting in their family compound in Nung Udoe Itak, Ikono Local Government Area, but did not return home alive.
Barr. Anyanwu who is the 7th prosecution witness in the matter, also said that late Barrister Godwin Ikoiwak told him that his wife, Barrister Abasiesebanga Ikoiwak was having a sexual relationship with her former boss, a legal practitioner, Barrister C.I. Odoh.
He said the deceased husband told him that his wife had stayed with a Catholic priest, Rev. Father Maurice Mbeke as a house help in the Convent and the Catholic priest impregnated her and they had a child who is now 19 years old named after his maternal grandfather.
According to the prosecution witness, late Barrister Ikoiwak did not know that the boy who has been living with him in his house for a year, was his wife’s own, because the wife said the child was her younger brother.
He said the deceased told him that each time his wife said she was pregnant, he does not set his eyes on her, until after the delivery of the baby, when she will present it to him and say: “This is your child”.
The prosecution team led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Akwa Ibom State, Barr. Joseph Umoren tendered the audio recordings of the phone conversation between the witness and the late Barrister Godwin Ikoiwak as an exhibit which was admitted in evidence after the audio was played in the open Court without any objection by the defendant’s counsel.
The wife of the deceased, Barrister Abasiesebanga Ikoiwak is standing trial alongside her mother, 66-year-old Margaret Patrick Umoh, her brother, Owoidoho Patrick Umoh, a Catholic priest, 51-year-old Reverend Father Gabriel Ekong, and a medical doctor, Isaac Njoku who are charged issuing false report on the cause of death of Barrister Godwin Ikoiwak.
Justice Bassey Nkanang of Akwa Ibom State High Court, Uyo has however granted bail to four of the six Defendants. Two others remain behind Bars.
Those granted bail included the three medical officers of St Luke’s Hospital Anua, Uyo. The charges against them include Accessory after the fact of murder, conspiracy to effect unlawful purpose, and issuance of false certificate by a public Officer.
They are, Dr Imoh Johnson – 4th Defendant, Rev Father Gabriel Ekong – 5th Defendant, and Dr Isaac Njoku – 6th Defendant. The three were alleged to have conspired with the wife of the late lawyer, Mrs Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak “on or before the 21st day of January 2022 at St Luke’s Hospital Anua Uyo to issue a medical report stating that Barr Godwin Ikoiwak was admitted, examined and treated of respiratory difficulty arising from asthma at the emergency unit of the Hospital before he died.”
“The facts”, according to the charge sheet, “were to their knowledge false in its material particulars”.
They were granted bail in the sum of two million naira each with sureties in like sum who must reside and own landed property within Uyo judicial division.
The judge insisted that sureties must swear to an affidavit of means of livelihood, and deposit two recent passport photographs, a national identity card, voters card, or international passport with the court, while the Defendants must also deposit two recent passport photographs and disclose to the court their functional GSM number.
Of the first to third Defendants who are charged with the murder, only the second Defendant, Margaret Patrick Umoh – the mother inlaw was granted bail on health grounds. The first Defendant Mrs. Abasieseabanga Godwin Ikoiwak – wife, and third Defendant Owoidoho Patrick Umoh – sister-in-law are to remain in the correctional center pending the determination of the charges against them.
In concluding cross-examination of PW 1 – Dr Emeka Nwafor the Histopathologist who conducted the autopsy by Barr C I Odo, Dr Nwafor admitted that Asthma and a “chokehold to the neck can cause reduced flow of oxygen to the brain which may lead to death.”
However, he explained that “in the case of a chokehold to the neck, a pathologist will see specific evidence or signs on the neck, mouth, nose, and internal organs,” just like asthma will show specific evidence.
He explained to the court that the circumstance of the deceased in the case is different because the cause of Asphyxia which led to his death was the result of “vomited stomach content in a background of toxic level of organophosphate.”
When asked the reason his report did not explain how the deceased came into contact with the substance and did not also include the chemical analysis of the cause of death, the Pathologist responded, “It is not my job to state how the deceased came into contact with the substance, whether by dermatologic contact or ingestion… My report did not contain chemical analysis because I am not a toxicologist. The toxicologist issued the analysis which I used to tie up my report.”
