A recent session at the Akwa Ibom State High Court in Uyo unveiled more detailed testimonies regarding the death of Barrister Godwin Ikoiwak. The deceased was a practicing lawyer with the State Ministry of Justice, and currently, six individuals are on trial in connection to his death.
Justice Bassey Nkanang presided over the court proceedings, where Mrs. Abasiesebanga Ikoiwak, the first defendant and wife of the deceased, presented her testimony. She is a 37-year-old lawyer and registrar at the Court of Appeal in Calabar.
During her testimony, Mrs. Ikoiwak revealed how the deceased’s body was transported from his mother-in-law’s residence in Nung Udoe Itak, Ikono Local Government Area, to Saint Luke’s Hospital in Uyo. The purpose was to obtain a death certificate, misleadingly indicating that he passed away at the hospital instead of his mother-in-law’s house.
Mrs. Ikoiwak is one of the six individuals facing trial, including her 67-year-old mother, Margaret Patrick Umoh; her 36-year-old sister, Owoidoho Patrick Umoh; two medical practitioners – Dr. Imoh Sunday Johnson and Dr. Isaac Njoku; and a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Gabriel Ekong, who serves as the Administrator of Saint Luke’s Hospital.
She acknowledged providing a statement to the Department of State Services, revealing that she instructed her sister, Udeme Patrick Umoh, a police officer who is currently at large, to transport her husband’s body to Saint Luke’s Hospital. She then sought a death certificate from Dr. Johnson, requesting that the certificate state her husband’s place and cause of death as the hospital.
According to Mrs. Ikoiwak, her husband informed her of feeling weak on January 19, 2022, after returning from the Federal High Court in Uyo. As she was away at the time, she advised him to stay at her mother’s place for better care, where eventually he passed away.
During her testimony, Mrs. Ikoiwak described how she took steps to arrange for her husband’s burial, despite facing challenges from her husband’s family who allegedly omitted her name as the deceased’s wife in the burial program. They reportedly stated that her husband died unmarried without children.
She also addressed allegations regarding her children with the deceased, mentioning family disputes and refusals from her in-laws to acknowledge the existence of the children.
When questioned about her husband’s deteriorating health, Mrs. Ikoiwak explained the sequence of events that led to his passing, emphasizing her efforts to seek medical attention and sacraments for him. She dismissed claims that a DNA test and ensuing discord precipitated her husband’s death, asserting his wellbeing before his sudden demise.