THOMAS JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This is a criminal appealagainst the judgment ofImo State High Court, Coram P. C. Onumajulu J., now the Chief Judge, delivered on 17th November, 1997 convicting the appellant for an offence ofmurder ofone ObediahOfoegbu on 14th October, 1987. The brief facts of the case are that the deceased in his lifetime, was the bellman of his church at Umuoloche Umulolo Okigwe, Imo State. In the early hours of 13-10-87, he went to the church which was close to his compound to ring the bell for morningprayers; and after ringing the bell, there was sound of a gunshot and the deceased raised his voice saying “Anthony Okoro (appellant) has shot me”. This statement is credited to the evidence of PW1 being the wife of the deceased who by then was still in bed at the material time, but she recognised the voice as that of her husband. On hearingthat, she rushed to the scene where she saw herhusband stooping and holding his neck, which was bleedingprofusely. Th…