A
[renegade] Nigerian pastor is on death row after dousing several church members
in petrol and setting them ablaze.
One
congregant died as a result and Emeka Ezeuko, known as Reverend King by his
followers, was sentenced on Thursday to death by hanging.
He
denied all six charges against him, saying his victims were burnt by an
electrical generator exploding, according to local media reports. The case has developed into a large-scale
scandal in Nigeria with allegations of sexual abuse made against Ezeuko who made
followers call him God or Jesus 'all the time'.
One
witness said he had repeatedly abused her and was made to serve him meals naked.
The same victim said she had had four abortions after Ezeuko impregnated her
multiple times.
The
court in Lagos heard Ezeuko had tortured his followers to force them into
confessing to sex outside marriage before setting them alight as a punishment
for their sin.
But
one witness to the trial said the renegade pastor reacted defiantly to his
sentencing.
'I
am not afraid to be hanged. After all Jesus Christ was hanged. That was how
Jesus was hanged and the crowd was against him. It is a great honour for me to
follow the footpath of the Lord Jesus Christ,' he shouted to the courtroom.
Repentance from this man would perhaps be a very wise
choice.
