By Sydney Okum

Protests have erupted following the decision of Justice Winifred Umohandi of the Akwa Ibom State High Court to grant bail to Rev. Father Gabriel Ekong, just 12 days after he was remanded at the Uyo Medium Custodial Centre.

Rev. Father Ekong, the administrator of St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua, was among five individuals recently convicted by the court in connection with the murder of Barrister Goodwin Ikoiwak, a principal state counsel with the Akwa Ibom Ministry of Justice.

The Catholic priest was sentenced to a two-year term, to run concurrently, for acting as an accessory after the fact in the murder case. Ikoiwak was reportedly poisoned during a visit to his in-laws in Itak village, Ikono Local Government Area. He had traveled there to resolve paternity concerns surrounding his children, who were allegedly fathered through an affair between his wife and a Catholic priest.

The case, presided over by Justice Bassey Nkanang of High Court 9, led to a combined 28-year sentence for the other convicted individuals. These included the deceased’s wife, Mrs. Abasieseabanga Ikoiwak (two years); her mother, Mrs. Margaret Patrick Umoh (10 years); her sister, Owoidoho Patrick Umoh (10 years); Dr. Imoh Johnson (four years); and Rev. Father Gabriel Ekong (two years). One defendant, Dr. Isaac Njoku, was discharged and acquitted.

The prosecution, initiated in 2022, alleged that the deceased was deliberately poisoned with organophosphate (locally known as "Ota piapia") while visiting his mother-in-law. Autopsy results confirmed traces of the poison, and physical injuries were also observed on his body.

To conceal the cause of death, Rev. Father Mbeke, described as a family friend, allegedly contacted Father Ekong to receive the body at St. Luke’s Hospital. There, Father Ekong reportedly directed Dr. Imoh Johnson to create a false medical record, stating that the deceased had been treated for asthma, leading to the issuance of a falsified death certificate.

Following the verdict, Father Ekong applied for bail on health grounds, citing hypertension. The application, filed by his counsel, Anthony Ekpe, on July 1, 2025, was opposed by the state, which argued that the medical report supporting the application came from the same hospital implicated in the falsification.

During the July 8 court session, lead counsel Barr. Samuel Ikpo supported the bail request, describing the priest’s medical condition as “special and exceptional.” However, opposing counsel, Barr. Joseph Umoren, urged the court to disregard the medical evidence due to its questionable source and lack of endorsement from prison medical staff, noting that hypertension was a manageable condition.

Despite the objections, Justice Umohandi granted bail to Father Ekong in the sum of ₦2 million with two sureties of equal value. The court ruled that the sureties must be Catholic priests within the Uyo Diocese, whose parishes fall within the Uyo Judicial Division.

The decision has stirred strong reactions from observers and sections of the public, who argue that it undermines justice in a high-profile murder case that shook the state.

Leadership