Justice Gabriel Ette delivered the judgment on Thursday, February 19, 2026, convicting 29-year-old Prince Emmanuel Umoh for the murder of Gabriel Bassey Edward, a University of Uyo student, on December 21, 2020, at Ifa Ikot Ubo, Uyo.
Witnesses told the court they saw Umoh entering the compound on the day of the incident. Neighbours reported hearing screams from within the premises, after which Umoh was seen leaving with bloodstains on his clothing. He claimed he had fallen while hanging a banner. Edward was never seen alive again.
His decomposing body was discovered five days later, wrapped in a mat in his room, bearing multiple stab wounds. A knife was recovered at the scene. Prosecutors presented six witnesses and established that tensions had existed between the two men over access to the apartment, unpaid rent, and missing property.
