Destiny Ugorji
The Cross River State Government has reacted to public outrage following a viral video alleging the release of suspects and delayed prosecution in the 2022 murder of Princewill Igbunaju Ikenna in Ikom.
In a statement signed by Anthony Okon Effiom, Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Cross River State Ministry of Justice, and made available to newsmen, the government explained the circumstances surrounding the delay in the prosecution of the suspects.
He explained that the delay in prosecuting the case resulted from the actions of an officer of the Ministry of Justice who deliberately withheld the case file following its reassignment to another judge. The reassignment, he noted, was made in response to an earlier petition from the family of the deceased.
“Upon receipt of the Petition, the Case file was forwarded to the Chief Judge, who after considering the petition alongside the response to the petition made by Hon. Justice Ashu Ewah, on the 9th of May, 2024, signed an order, reassigning the case to Court 2 of the Ikom Division of the Cross River State High Court, in the interest of Justice.”
“For some inexplicable reason, the Deputy Chief Registrar of Court, saddled with the duty of transmitting the Case file to Court 2 of the Ikom Division of the Cross River State High Court, pursuant to the Honourable Chief Judge’s order failed to do so. The erring court staff was queried in September, 2025, during the annual vacation of the judiciary, when this sorry state of affairs was discovered and is now being referred to the Cross River State Judicial Service Commission to face disciplinary proceedings.”
Find the full statement below:
Government of Cross River State, Nigeria
PRESS RELEASE
The attention of the Cross River State Ministry of Justice, has been drawn to a complaint circulating on various social media platforms, with regards to the lack of progress in the prosecution of CHARGE NO. HM/ 9C/ 2022 – INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE V. UCHENNA PETER CHINWEIKPE AND VALENTINE ALLOYSIUS (AKA MY FATHER MY FATHER), wherein the defendants are being prosecuted for the murder of one Princewill Igbunaju Ikenna on the 3rd of September, 2022. Alarmed by the allegations made in the complaint and which were made by a sibling of the late Princewill Igbunaju Ikenna, the Attorney-General of Cross River State, immediately launched an inquiry to ascertain the veracity of the claims being made and in the interest of justice and full transparency the following is the outcome of the inquiry:
1. The Information in CHARGE NO. HM/ 9C/ 2022 – INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE V. UCHENNA PETER CHINWEIKPE AND VALENTINE ALLOYSIUS (AKA MY FATHER MY FATHER) was filed by the Nigerian Police Force, Zone 6, in October, 2022 at the Ikom Division of the Cross River State High Court and is being prosecuted by a Police Prosecutor.
2. The matter had progressed considerably from October 2022 to 31st of January, 2023, within which time, the prosecution called three witnesses and thereafter the matter was adjourned till the 21st of February, 2023 for continuation of examination in chief and cross examination of the 3rd prosecution witness. The adjourned date taken on record, was however brought forward to the 7th of February, 2023 by the court. This date was communicated to the Police prosecutor a couple of days prior, but the prosecutor was otherwise engaged in Akwa Ibom State in another matter and unable to attend court.
3. On the 7th of February, 2023, the presiding Judge of Court 1, Ikom Division of the Cross River State High Court, Hon. Justice Ashu Ewah, before whom the Charge was pending, sat and took an already pending motion for bail, which had been opposed by the prosecution and granted the defendants bail on health grounds, albeit with the prosecutor not in court and thereafter set out on a national assignment, to sit in an Election Petition Tribunal, resulting in his inability to hear the matter for an extended period of time.
4. The matter came up on three occasions thereafter, but due to the absence of the Presiding Judge who was on National Assignment, it could not be heard. The nominal Complainant, being dissatisfied with the progress of the case and the decision of Hon. Justice Ashu Ewah in granting the Defendants bail, wrote a petition dated the 22nd of March 2024, to the Honourable, the Chief Judge of Cross River State, requesting that the case be reassigned to another Court, this Petition was received in the Chief Judges Chambers on the 15th of April 2024.
5. Upon receipt of the Petition, the Case file was forwarded to the Chief Judge, who after considering the petition alongside the response to the petition made by Hon. Justice Ashu Ewah, on the 9th of May, 2024, signed an order, reassigning the case to Court 2 of the Ikom Division of the Cross River State High Court, in the interest of Justice.
6. For some inexplicable reason, the Deputy Chief Registrar of Court, saddled with the duty of transmitting the Case file to Court 2 of the Ikom Division of the Cross River State High Court, pursuant to the Honourable Chief Judge’s order failed to do so. The erring court staff was queried in September, 2025, during the annual vacation of the judiciary, when this sorry state of affairs was discovered and is now being referred to the Cross River State Judicial Service Commission to face disciplinary proceedings.
7. The case is now pending before Court 2 of the Ikom Division of the Cross River State High Court, the case file having been reassigned there, pursuant to the Honourable Chief Judge’s order and came up on the 13th of October, 2025 for re-arraignment of the Defendants. The first Defendant Uchenna Peter Chinweikpe, although represented by counsel, was however not in Court on that date and the matter was consequently adjourned till the 21st of October, 2025.
8. The Attorney General of Cross River State has in the interest of justice directed the Director Public Prosecution, Cross River State Ministry of Justice, to take over this matter forthwith, for effective prosecution and to ease the minds of the Nominal Complainant, as well as members of the General Public.
9. The office of the Attorney General of Cross River State, has been in contact with the victim’s family through his younger brother Ernest Onyeka Igbonaju and appraised him on the steps taken since this matter came to the attention of the Ministry of Justice. So as to effectively and completely prosecute this matter, the office of the Attorney General has also been in contact with the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command and requested assistance in arresting three other suspects, said to be complicit in this despicable crime namely, Elvis Ntui, Pastor Effiong and one Barry, who have all fled and have been on the run since.
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 that Justice will indeed be served in it.
Anthony Okon Effiom Esq.
Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Justice