The Cross River State Government has reacted to the viral complaint by the family of the late Princewill Igbunaju Ikenna, a youth pastor murdered in Ikom in 2022, over alleged judicial delays and the controversial bail granted to the prime suspects.
In a press statement issued by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Anthony Okon Effiom, Esq., the government said it had launched a full inquiry into the matter following the family’s outcry which trended on social media and was earlier reported by TheNigeriaLawyer.
Effiom explained that the case — CHARGE NO. HM/9C/2022: Inspector General of Police v. Uchenna Peter Chinweikpe and Valentine Aloysius (aka “My Father My Father”) — was filed by the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 6 Headquarters, Calabar, in October 2022, at the Ikom Division of the High Court of Cross River State and was initially prosecuted by a police prosecutor.
According to him, the prosecution had progressed significantly, with three witnesses already called between October 2022 and January 2023, before the matter was adjourned for continuation of trial. However, the court later brought forward the hearing date from February 21 to February 7, 2023, a change communicated only a few days prior.
On the new date, Effiom confirmed, the presiding judge, Hon. Justice Ashu Ewah, sat in Court 1 of the Ikom Division and took up a pending bail application previously opposed by the prosecution. The judge granted bail to both defendants on health grounds, even though the police prosecutor was absent due to official engagement in Akwa Ibom State. Shortly afterward, Justice Ewah proceeded on national assignment to sit at an Election Petition Tribunal, leaving the case unattended for several months.
“The matter came up on three occasions thereafter, but due to the absence of the presiding judge, it could not be heard,” the statement read. “The nominal complainant, being dissatisfied with the slow progress and the decision to grant bail, petitioned the Honourable Chief Judge of Cross River State on March 22, 2024, seeking reassignment of the case.”
The Solicitor General stated that the Chief Judge, after reviewing the petition and Justice Ewah’s response, reassigned the case to Court 2 of the Ikom Division on May 9, 2024, in the interest of justice. However, the transfer suffered an unexpected setback when a Deputy Chief Registrar responsible for forwarding the case file to the new court failed to do so.
Effiom described this lapse as “inexplicable” and confirmed that the erring staff had been queried in September 2025 during the judiciary’s annual vacation and would face the Judicial Service Commission for disciplinary proceedings.
Following the Chief Judge’s order, the case was finally transmitted to Court 2, where it came up for re-arraignment on October 13, 2025. The first defendant, Pastor Uchenna Peter Chinweikpe, was represented by counsel but failed to appear in court, leading to an adjournment to October 21, 2025.
Effiom disclosed that the Attorney-General of Cross River State, Ededem Charles Ani, has now directed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to take over the case from the police prosecutor to ensure effective handling and restore public confidence in the judicial process.
“The Attorney General has directed the Director of Public Prosecution to take over this matter forthwith for effective prosecution and to ease the minds of the nominal complainant and the general public,” Effiom said.
He added that the Ministry of Justice has been in direct contact with the victim’s younger brother, Mr. Ernest Onyeka Igbunaju, who has been fully briefed on the government’s actions since the complaint surfaced. The Ministry has also contacted the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, to assist in apprehending three other suspects still at large — identified as Elvis Ntui, Pastor Effiong, and one Barry — believed to have participated in the crime.
“The Ministry of Justice sympathizes with the family of the late Princewill Igbunaju Ikenna and assures them and the general public that this matter will be diligently prosecuted and justice will indeed be served,” the statement concluded.
As earlier reported by TheNigeriaLawyer, the family of the late Princewill Ikenna had accused the judiciary of frustrating justice through unexplained adjournments and the questionable bail granted to Pastor Uchenna Peter, one of the principal suspects.
In a viral video, the victim’s brother, Mr. Ernest Onyeka, had accused the presiding judge of bias and decried what he called “a miscarriage of justice.” He also alleged that the released pastor, who claimed to be ill, was later seen preaching energetically in his Lagos church days after being freed on health grounds.
Princewill, a 30-year-old youth pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Ikom, was murdered on September 3, 2022, in a suspected carjacking. His Lexus RX 350 SUV was tracked to Lagos, leading to the arrest of Pastor Uchenna Peter and Valentine Aloysius. Police investigations and confessional statements implicated other suspects — Elvis Ntwi, Pastor Kingsley, and Barry — who allegedly fled after the killing.
