He Never Returned
On January 19, 2022, Godwin Ikoiwak, a brilliant prosecuting counsel with the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice, drove from Uyo to Ikono for a meeting with his in-laws.
He never came back.
Godwin was married to Abasieseabanga, also a lawyer. They had two children and had been married since 2017. But things began to unravel when he grew suspicious of her fidelity. His personal investigation uncovered disturbing details: she was allegedly having an affair with her former employer and, even more shocking, had a teenage son fathered by a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Maurice Mbeke, when she lived with him as a teen. Godwin was deceived into believing the boy was her younger brother and unknowingly raised the child after marriage.
He confronted her, demanded a paternity test, and took the matter to her family, the same people who had hidden the truth from him.
That day (January 22), after attending court, he honoured their invitation. He was later declared dead from asthma complications as stated by the doctor. His wife informed his family. A death certificate confirmed it, and he was buried.
But something felt off.
His family began to investigate. The DSS got involved, and his body was exhumed. An autopsy showed he didn’t die of asthma; instead, he was poisoned with Otapiapia. His body had bruises, wrist and ankle marks, and a deep gash below the eye. Evidence suggested he was tied, beaten, and forced to ingest poison.
His wife allegedly kept in touch with her mother, sister, and brother, the same people who were in the house that day. After confirming his death, she contacted Rev. Fr. Mbeke. Phone records showed multiple calls between them on the day of the murder. Mbeke then called Rev. Fr. Gabriel Ekong of St. Luke’s Hospital, who arranged a fake death certificate through Dr. Imoh Johnson. The body was quietly deposited there.
Last month, the court passed its judgment:
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Wife: 2 years imprisonment (Accessory to murder)
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Mother-in-law: 10 years imprisonment(Murder)
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Sister-in-law: 10 years imprisonment (Murder)
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Fr. Gabriel Ekong: 4 years imprisonment (Falsifying records)
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Dr. Imoh Johnson: 2 years imprisonment (Falsifying records)
Interestingly, no charges were brought against Fr. Mbeke.
The Judge noted that the reduced sentences were influenced by the defendants being first-time offenders, their advanced age (the mother-in-law), and the presence of a young baby for the sister-in-law. Thankfully, the state has promised to appeal. And it should, because justice must mean more than this.
But here’s my real question:
How many men in Nigeria have died like this, in silence, and their killers walked free?
The only reason you’re reading this is because Godwin’s family refused to let it go. Many others are buried with the words “God giveth and God taketh”, and no one asks questions.
How many more?
How many sons, brothers, fathers… quietly erased?
Let’s talk.