Two years after the brazen murder of Princewill Ikenna , a devoted youth pastor in Ikom, Cross River State, his family has leveled scathing accusations against the state’s judiciary, claiming systemic delays, abrupt procedural changes, and a controversial release of suspects on “health grounds” have allowed alleged killers to walk free.
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In a viral video plea and recent media appearances, Mr. Ernest Onyeka, the victim’s younger brother, described the ordeal as a “nightmare of injustice,” urging Governor Bassey Edet Otu, Attorney General Ededem Charles Ani, and Chief judge Justices Akon Bassey Ikpeme to intervene before the case fades into obscurity.
The case, filed in the Calabar High Court under Justice Joshua Ashe Ewah, appeared poised for resolution with arrests, confessions, and forensic evidence including three bullets extracted from Princewill’s skull. Yet, after three hearings marred by adjournments, the family’s lawyer received an impromptu date change just two days before the next session, rendering preparation impossible. In a stunning ruling, Justice Ewah granted bail to prime suspect Pastor Peter Uchenna and an associate, citing the pastor’s alleged health issues. Skepticism erupted when, days later, video footage emerged of Uchenna energetically preaching at his Lagos church, undermining claims of frailty.
“It’s been over two years now. We’ve not been able to get justice in this case,” Mr. Onyeka stated in his trending clip over the weekend and also in an interview on the Lucky Udu. He recounted, “This judge released this Pastor Peter and one other on health grounds… That same week, they discharged this pastor. I sent someone to his church in Lagos that’s the situation; that’s the video of him in church preaching.” Onyeka further decried the subsequent excuses, including the judge’s six-month leave and the endless procedural hurdles, as the trial remains stalled. “The judiciary in Cross River State has not given us justice,” he added, warning, “Today it might be Princewill. Tomorrow it could be anybody.”
Human rights advocates and lawyers have amplified the family’s outcry, labeling the handling of the case emblematic of broader issues in Nigeria’s justice system rampant delays, potential corruption, and a lack of accountability that erodes public trust. “This is not just a family tragedy; it’s a failure of the system,” said one anonymous legal observer, echoing sentiments from groups like the Nigerian Bar Association’s Cross River chapter.
The family’s desperate appeals target high-level intervention: “We are calling on the Nigerian government, Cross River State government, to look at what happened in Cross River State,” Onyeka implored. Despite the mounting pressure, the Cross River State Police Command and Judiciary have yet to respond to requests for comment on the case’s status.
Onyeka recounted the harrowing events leading to his brother’s death: “The nightmare began on September 3, 2023, when Princewill Ike, originally from Anambra State but a beloved resident of Ikom, stepped out for a routine haircut the last time his family saw him alive. The 30-year-old youth pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) was months away from his wedding and renowned for his unwavering faith. Prince is a guy that will not miss church for anything.”
The alarm sounded the next morning, Sunday, September 4, when Princewill failed to join the family for service. His mother, growing anxious, visited his home, only to hear from neighbors that he had not returned overnight. The family hurried to the Ikom Police Station to report him missing but was told to wait 24 hours.
Horror unfolded before noon on Monday. Onyeka received a gut-wrenching call from his father: “Come to Grassfield and identify one corpse.” Rushing there with his father and another brother, they confronted a grisly scene Princewill’s body lifeless on the ground, three bullet wounds riddling his head, blood everywhere. Police confirmed the motive: the theft of his Lexus RX 350 SUV in a violent carjacking.
Amid the grief, a breakthrough surfaced. Searching Princewill’s documents, Onyeka spotted a tracking device in the vehicle. Calling the company, he was floored to learn the car was in Lagos impossibly far from Ikom in mere hours. “This thing happened in Ikom, Cross River State… the car cannot be in Lagos,” he protested. Refusing to yield, Onyeka and an uncle sped to Lagos, arriving the next day.
Led by the tracker, they pinpointed the SUV at a Meiran panel-beating shop, where mechanics were repainting it to conceal its origins. Alerting Meiran Police Station, Inspector Martha A. and her team arrested the panel beater, who immediately implicated Lagos-based Pastor Peter Uchenna Chinwagba for dropping off the vehicle.
Uchenna arrived at the station shortly after, spinning a tale that the SUV was a “gift” from an unnamed church membera claim that crumbled under scrutiny. “Even if you be president of Nigeria, they give you car gift, you remember who gave you the car,” Inspector Martha A. reportedly challenged. The pastor denied ever visiting Ikom or Cross River.
His wife’s summoned alibi that he was preaching in Lagos on September 4 only deepened the contradictions. Escalating to Lagos State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the case shifted to Cross River for trial, with Zone 6 Police Headquarters in Calabar assuming control.
Interrogation in Calabar broke Chinwagba. He confessed to being in Ikom, invited by local Pastor Kingsley for a church event. Post-program, he, Kingsley, Elvis Ntwi, and Barry allegedly ambushed Princewill. “It was this Elvis that shot my brother,” Onyeka quoted the pastor, who admitted witnessing the killing but not firing the shots then fleeing to Lagos with the stolen vehicle that night.
An autopsy extracted the three bullets as key evidence. DSP Ibe Dennis oversaw the suspects’ transfer, filing murder and armed robbery charges. Yet, the courtroom became another battleground, with the “health grounds” bail and stalled proceedings allowing Peter Uchenna Chinwagba, Kingsley, Ntwi, and Barry to resume normal lives—preaching, operating businesses, and evading accountability.
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