Justice for Princewill Ikenna: A Call for Accountability
- primaraldinternshi
- Oct 24, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 3, 2025
The Tragic Story of Princewill Ikenna
September 4th, 2023, marks a painful day for the family of Princewill Ikenna, a young man whose life was tragically cut short in Ikom, Cross River State.
According to his brother, Ernest Igbunaju Onyeka, that Saturday was the last time the family saw Princewill alive. He had gone out to get a haircut but never returned home.
The following day, when he failed to show up for church, his worried mother went to his residence to look for him. Neighbours confirmed they hadn’t seen him return since the previous day. Alarmed, she quickly informed the rest of the family.
After church, Ernest and his uncle went to the police station to report him missing. However, the police advised them to return after 24 hours on Monday, September 6, 2023.
Tragically, Princewill’s father received a phone call asking the family to come to a location called Grass Field in Ikom to identify a body. Upon arrival, they were devastated to find Princewill lying lifeless, covered in blood, with three bullet wounds to his head. His car was nowhere to be found.
Unanswered Questions
This discovery raised several questions:
What transpired?
Was it a robbery?
Who were the people involved?
Determined to find answers, Ernest searched Princewill’s house and found a car-tracking document with a phone number. When he contacted the company, they promised to return his call within 30 minutes. Later, he received confirmation that the car was located in Lagos State.
The family immediately travelled to Lagos and traced the vehicle to a mechanic workshop. There, they discovered the mechanic was changing the car’s entire interior. The mechanic was arrested and questioned. He claimed he was only working for a customer named Pastor Peter Uchena, who had brought the car.
When the police summoned Pastor Peter, he was arrested and interrogated. He stated that the car was a gift from a church member but could not recall who. When informed that the car’s rightful owner had been murdered in Cross River State, Pastor Peter denied ever visiting Ikom.
However, when his wife was called in for questioning, she contradicted his claim, confirming that her husband had indeed travelled to Ikom on the 4th of September to preach.
The Investigation Deepens
The case was then reported to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Lagos. Pastor Peter revealed that he was invited to Ikom by another pastor named Pastor Kingsley for a church program. According to him, during his visit, he witnessed Pastor Kingsley and two other men identified as Elvis and Barrie accost Princewill. He further admitted he was present when Princewill was murdered but insisted he did not pull the trigger. He alleged that Elvis shot Princewill and later drove the car to Lagos that same night.
Following this revelation, the Inspector General directed that the case be transferred back to Cross River State for trial. The police from Zone 6 took over the investigation and collected the recovered bullets for forensic analysis.
One of the investigating officers, Inspector Denise Ibe, assured the family that justice would prevail since Pastor Peter was already in custody and the other suspects would soon be apprehended.
A Troubling Court Process
The matter proceeded to court, presided over by Justice Joshua Ewah. The first and second hearings were conducted successfully, and a date was fixed for the third. However, two days before the hearing, the family’s lawyer received a call from the judge’s office announcing a sudden change of date. This move left the family deeply confused and worried.
To their shock, Pastor Peter was reportedly discharged on health grounds, according to the judge’s ruling, allowing him to walk free.
Out of curiosity, Ernest sent someone to Pastor Peter’s church the following Sunday, only to receive a video of him preaching energetically and in perfect health.
Since then, the case has been marred by delays, contradictions, and unanswered questions.
The Ongoing Fight for Justice
Two years later, the family of Princewill Ikenna is still crying out for justice, pleading with authorities to ensure that their beloved son and brother does not die in vain.
Recently, the Ministry of Justice has taken notice of the case and released a press statement promising to pursue justice for Princewill and his grieving family.
PRESS RELEASE
The attention of the Cross River State Ministry of Justice has been drawn to a complaint circulating on various social media platforms regarding 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 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. In the interest of justice and full transparency, the following is the outcome of the inquiry:
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.
The matter had progressed considerably from October 2022 to 31st January 2023, during which time the prosecution called three witnesses. The matter was adjourned until 21st February 2023 for continuation of examination in chief and cross-examination of the 3rd prosecution witness. The adjourned date was, however, brought forward to 7th 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.
On 7th 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. This was done without the prosecutor in court and thereafter set out on a national assignment, resulting in his inability to hear the matter for an extended period.
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 22nd March 2024 to the Honourable Chief Judge of Cross River State, requesting that the case be reassigned to another court. This petition was received in the Chief Judge's Chambers on 15th April 2024.
Upon receipt of the petition, the case file was forwarded to the Chief Judge, who, after considering the petition alongside the response made by Hon. Justice Ashu Ewah, signed an order on 9th May 2024, 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, who was responsible for transmitting the case file to Court 2, 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. The matter is now being referred to the Cross River State Judicial Service Commission for disciplinary proceedings.
The case is now pending before Court 2 of the Ikom Division of the Cross River State High Court, with the case file having been reassigned there, pursuant to the Honourable Chief Judge’s order. It came up on 13th October 2025 for re-arraignment of the defendants. The first defendant, Uchenna Peter Chinweikpe, although represented by counsel, was not in court on that date, and the matter was consequently adjourned until 21st October 2025.
The Attorney General of Cross River State has directed the Director of Public Prosecution, Cross River State Ministry of Justice, to take over this matter forthwith for effective prosecution. This is to ease the minds of the nominal complainant and the general public.
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 has appraised him on the steps taken since this matter came to the attention of the Ministry of Justice.
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. They have requested assistance in arresting three other suspects, said to be complicit in this despicable crime: 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, as well as the general public, that this matter will be diligently prosecuted and that justice will indeed be served.
Anthony Okon Effiom Esq.
Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Justice
---wix---
Comments