Some gunmen on Saturday evening abducted a pastor with Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) on IBB Way, opposite the Margaret Ekpo Airport in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Pastor Seyi Adekunle.
The gunmen were said to have stormed the church when Adekunle and other pastors were preparing for the following day’s service.
An eyewitness, who spoke in confidence, said: “The five gunmen stormed the church at 8pm when the pastors were praying in the main auditorium. They shot sporadically into the air before bundling the pastor into their car. The abductors drove him away.
“Normally, on Saturdays, we have a number of activities, but the pastors’ prayer session comes last. It was while the session was in progress the boys came in, shot into the air and took our pastor away.”
It could not be established if the kidnappers have demanded for a ransom at press time last night.
Police spokesman Hogan Bassey confirmed the incident.
He said the command was working hard to ensure the pastor’s rescue.
Word Tabernacle in Osongama Estate, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has prayed for divine guidance and protection for media organisations and journalists.
The church urged them to be prayerful and fearless in practice.
Its general overseer, Apostle (Dr.) Gabriel Nkenang, spoke during the media day service last week.
The theme of the service was “Harnessing the media for Kingdom projects”.
He explained the service was to lift up media practitioners to God, noting that their work is very hazardous as many get harmed or killed while reporting happenings in the society.
Apostle Nkenang said the vision to set aside a day in a year to pray for media professionals as directed by God came in 2008 and the church had been doing it consistently since them.
Speaking on the importance of the media, the cleric noted that evangelism would not have strived well without the media.
The Chairman, Media Department of the Church, Evangelist Mrs. Margaret Ekpo noted that the church is about the only one that celebrates media professionals.
As part of the church’s contribution and encouragement to the growth of the media industry, awards were presented to Pastor (Mrs.) Emah Ekpo, former Zonal Director, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the General Manager, Pioneer Newspapers, Silas Effiong.
The Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Elder Patrick Albert, appreciated the church for setting aside a day to pray for and celebrate the media.
The Enugu State Housing Development Corporation and the Anglican church in Enugu are locked in a fierce battle over the ownership of a nine-hectare piece of land.
The corporation planned to use the land for a housing estate after ascertaining that it had been lying fallow for over 50 years.
When the corporation entered the land located at the Christ Church Uwani based on the revocation letter by the Ministry of Lands, it was stiffly resisted by irate priests of the church led by Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma.
But the Managing Director and chirf executive officer of the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Mr. Vitalis Emeka Onah, painted a gory story of the situation. He alleged to have been manhandled by the priests and church members, as a result sustained injuries. Onah had gone there after receiving a distress call from the director of works, Pius Chukwunta who was beaten to pulp.
The church denied these allegations but heaped the the blame on government officials of attacking and wounding four priests in the process.
However, Onah insisted that the church members were the ones who shot the first salvo by attempting to stop the bulldozers sent to work on the land for immediate parcelation.
The land in contention, according to Onah was previously on lease to the church but that the lease expired several years ago, reversing the ownership to the government.
He added that the land was duly allocated to the Housing Corporation by the ministry of land before the clearing process began on May 22.
According to him, “two properties situated at Uwani, Enugu were leased by the Enugu State Government to the Anglican Communion. These properties were registered as No 43/43/778 dated 5/3/1946 and 27/27/273 dated 4/2/1961 and leased for 5 and 20years respectively.
“The said leases were for educational and agricultural purposes only. By effluxion of time, the leases had long elapsed without a renewal.
“Following series of notices to the Anglican communion to that effect and their refusal to acknowledge the letters sent to them; coupled with the breach of convenant contained therein; non-development within the stipulated period; deviation from purpose clauses among others, the Enugu State government revoked the said lease agreements and duly notified the Anglican Communion”.
Onah added that, “Upon revocation of the properties, the State Government through its Housing Corporation led by the Director of Works, Mr Chukwunta entered the empty parcel of land with the intention of clearing the site and mounting it’s signpost ‘Transparency Estate’.
Narrating the alleged involvement of ArchBishop Chukwuma, he said, “Unknown to the Director of Works and his workers, the ArchBishop of the Anglican Communion, Lord Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, (Bishop Chukwuma ) had laid ambush with some members of his congregation and rough looking young men clutching dangerous weapons and gallons of gasoline. Upon entry into the land, Bishop Chukwuma and his men swooped on our staff and beat them up. The Bishop personally approached the director of works, slapped him severally, collected a club from one of his boys and hit the director continually with it until the director broke one of his arms.
“Emboldened by the actions of their Bishop, the other adherents and thugs accompanying him went beserk, hauling stones at our staff and pouring gasoline on the five bulldozers on site, threatening to set our staff and equipment ablaze. One of my fleeing staff alerted me of the ugly development on phone and I promptly called the Commissioner of Police”.
The MD, who showed journalists some bruises on his right shoulder, said he escaped death by the whiskers.
According to him, “no sooner had I arrived the scene at Uwani, than a couple of Reverends descended on me while I was asking them to stop hauling stones at the workers. One hit me with a heavy stone inflicting injury on me while another came rushed me with a large chunk of wood. In the ensuing mayhem, one of the said thugs dressed as a reverend approached one of my staff and poured a gallon of gasoline on him before the Commissioner of Police and his team arrived the scene. The Commissioner of Police in unequivocal terms admonished the church leaders and their thugs for brazenly taking laws into their hands and resorting to self help.
“He finally advised them to seek redress in a court of law if they want to challenge the powers of a Governor to revoke the said parcel of land”.
He maintained that “the revocation of the parcel of land was done in accordance with the laws and due process.
“The said parcel of land was empty/vacant with no structures except for a small clinic situated very far away from the scene of the incidence and as such the issue of demolition of structures as alleged by the Bishop was an outright lie.
“The Bishop had earlier threatened to burn and roast any government official who ventures into the said parcel of land and true to his threats, they came into the land armed with petrol.
“The Bishop had told the director of works that the governor of Enugu State was lucky not to have been physically present otherwise, he would have done worse things to him”.
“Even the bible encouraged us to respect those in authority and not to alter landmarks. If Bishop Chukwuma feels that injustice is being done to him and his church, he needs to take it up with the court rather than resorting to violence. I call on all well meaning Nigerians and the Law enforcement agents to call Bishop Chukwuma to order”, he concluded.
But the Anglican church in its version of the fracas, claimed that more than six persons, including four priests, were allegedly beaten to stupor by some members of task-force working with the Enugu State Housing Corporation. They absolved Archbishop Chukwuma from the attack.
They gave the names of the victims as Reverends Collins Odoabuchi, Mbaka Peter, Eugene, and Maxwell Onyia.
Others members of the church said to have been affected were Ekpecha Okechukwu and Naomi Ibekwe. Naomi Ibekwe claimed that she was hit iron and hard objects.
One of the victims, who gave her name as Naomi Ibekwe told journalists that she was hit by iron and hard objects, including stones causing bruises and severe injuries on her.
Reacting to the incident, the State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, told the angry church leaders and their faithful at the scene of the disturbance that they should allow peace to reign as negotiation had begun.
“We have discussed with the church. If anybody is injured, we will not take it lightly. We have already asked that a formal report be made and we will follow it up. We have agreed on peace move and we are following it up”, he stated.
Also speaking, the Priest in-charge of the Christ Church, Venerable N. Aghadi said, “We have talked at length and discussed very progressively.
“The Commissioner of Police is requesting that we should please go home and rest. He has promised that the matter is in good hand and that immediately the Archbishop returns, he will have meeting with him”.
While the clash lasted on Friday, five bulldozers were being used to demolish the structures at the disputed land inside the Church premises.
Findings showed that the Church was dedicated by His Grace, the Most Reverend C . J. Patterson, the then ArchBishop of West Africa and Bishop of the Niger in 1965.
The third edition of Worship With Gbenga Adenuga (WWGA), which held recently at the AGIP Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, witnessed music lovers from all walks of life coming together under one roof to partake in a what the organisers call ‘an harvest of praise songs’.
The three-hour concert, with different renditions from the host, Gbenga Adenuga, and his colleagues, is, according to the convener, a way of expressing himself, and showing people how to praise God, and bring back those who have left the church. “It is a reflection of me, and my hope of reaching out to people and bringing them back to the church.
“It is a difficult place to be. But we hope to reach out to them, and make them come back, and that is what gave birth to the WWGA and the series.”
The Awimayehun crooner, delivered some of his hit tracks at the event. He noted that the show offers time for inspirational, reflective and soul-rendering outpour of worship to the Almighty.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Glorious Cloud Parish in Ketu Zone, Lagos will on June 15 begin a 14-day programme to mark its fifth anniversary.
The church located at number 1, Samuel Street, off Sanni Jigide Street, Ogudu Bus Stop, Ogudu, will host an interdenominational prayer and deliverance programme tagged ‘Double restoration service’ with the theme: ‘Soaring like an eagle’.
In a statement by the host, Pastor Godwin Osademe, said: “Double Restoration Service’ ( DRS) started on May 15, 2010 when I was Pastor-in-charge of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Overcomers’ Chapel, and has enjoyed amazing support as a result of spiritual and physical transformation of lives in the RCCG Jehovah Shammah Parish and the RCCG Glorious Cloud Parish where I have been saddled with the responsibility as Pastor-in-charge in the last five years.”
Pastor Osademe urged the people to attend the service for blessing, restoration, salvation of soul, and prophetic impartation.
He added that guest speakers would include Pastor Joshua Afolabi, Pastor Daniel Usie from Warri, Delta State, and Pastor Olaniyi Aniya.
Other guest speakers are Pastor Olayinka Adeniyi; Pastor Deji Adeniyi; Pastor George Oladipo; Pastor Emmanuel Kayode; Pastor Felix Abiodun; Pastor Martins Oyenekan and Pastor (Mrs) Funmi Balogun. Gospel singers, such as Benjamin Okom of Voice of Saints Singers, Owoeye Akin, Julius Olashile, Joshua Ayeni, Glorious Cloud Choir, Jehovah Shammah Choir, Overcomers’ Chapel Choir, Victory Chapel Choir, and other guest song ministers, will be present.
In Agbodi village, a stretch of land between Maba and the Redeemed Camp, on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, two contending forces, the community and the Deeper Life Church are laying claim to about 44 hectares of land. The former said it never sold the land to the church and the latter claimed to have bought the land from the community’s older generation. An amicable resolution, however, could douse the tension the dispute has created, reports SEYI ODEWALE.
The sleepy community of Agbodi on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would not have appeared in the news, but for the skirmishes that occurred last month in the area. What perhaps could have registered the community to anyone is a not too conspicuous nondescript green signboard nailed to the fence of a building at the entrance of the community’s expansive land and possibly the existence of the Deeper Life church in the area. And this possibly could have been when the church has its camp meetings at either Easter or Christmas periods.
However, the community was in the news some weeks back, not for something cheery, but for some acts of alleged lawlessness and brigandage by some youths of the area against the Deeper Life Bible Ministry Church, whose camp ground is in the community.
The church in a press conference held recently alleged that the youth demolished its perimeter fence of about 1,500-metre long worth N25million while trying to encroach on its land. In the words of the church’s building committee head, Pastor Alfred Ogene, the land was duly bought by the church from the community. “This land was bought by the Deeper Life Bible Church many years ago. After paying millions of naira to the owners, they issued us their families’ receipt, which we used to get the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from the last administration in Ogun State. We paid N750million for the papers.
“But some people, who claimed to be children of the owners, pulled down our fence in 2009, which was worth N10million. We decided to rebuild the fence and demarcate what we had left after they had resold a large portion of the land. But they came back and demolished that one too,” he said at the briefing.
•Ogunkayode
But the community has since picked holes in the church’s claim, saying it is far from the truth. According to the community’s Baale (traditional head) Taiwo Ogunkayode, the church never bought the land from them. The land, which is about44 hectares, Ogunkayode said, was cunningly taken from the community by the church. “In 2008 we just noticed that Deeper Life Church had entered our land and was erecting structures and not that we sold the land to them. We then challenged them. What we noticed then was that there was one Franklin Ehi, who was always coming to the land to hunt game. He used to come from Lagos to hunt on our land. And they said they were interested in our land. The land actually belonged to many families, but being held in trust for them by the Baale.
“So, they then said we should allow them survey the land first to know its extent before coming to negotiate the value with us. And we agreed with them, but asked them to pay Owo iwoko and Owo ilagbe, which literarily means the money for entering the land and that of charting it. This is the tradition anywhere land matters come up. It is compulsory for anyone, who wants to purchase land in Yoruba land, to pay these levies to the land owners, otherwise called Omo Onile in Yoruba.
“They said after they must have known the extent of the land, they will start negotiating with us. We agreed based on the trust we had in them, particularly, Ehi, who was their middleman. Ordinarily, it is after someone must have paid for any land before he or she can be allowed to enter the land, no to talk of surveying it.
“Actually, the issue was before I became the Baale of the town. But when they had completed the survey, they did not fulfill their promise despite our repeated calls on them to do so. When I became the Baale in 2012, the town mounted another pressure on me to address the issue and ask them to pay for the land and since then we have been on the issue, Ogunkayode said in his narration.
But the church affirmed that the land was actually bought from the community and the only challenge it has is that some of those that actually sold the land to them were dead. “The challenge we have is that some of the men who sold this land to us are already late, and their children are saying they were very young as at the time the land was bought from their families and that they too want to ‘eat’ from the land,” Pastor Ogene said, adding that the land was bought to serve as the church’s camp and conference venue anytime the need arises for such.
Corroborating Pastor Ogene was the church’s camp administrative manager, Enabulele David, who said the land in question was acquired since 1996. “We started acquiring the land since 1996, apart from paying to the families, the church has equally paid about N750million to Ogun State for global C of O and of course, you cannot start the process of C of O without showing an evidence of family receipt or payment for the land in question. The Baale you met had gone with us to settle some problems when some other people secretly sold our land to some people. This same Baale, called Taye, had gone with us to the police to witness that the land in question had been sold to the church. Not only that, when the former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel toyed with idea of using our land for trailer park, this Taye was among those that went to the governor to say that the land belonged to them, but had been sold to the church,” he said.
He continued: “Normally, Owo Ilagbe will come up whenever anyone wants to enter the land and we have paid all those including Owo Iwoko. Now, we want to start erecting structures and we have agreed with them that we will pay them what they normally collect anytime anybody wants to start work on the land. In fact, the owner of that Green land Estate, the late Chief Esuruoso, was aware of the transaction on the land. He was a member of the family. He built on the portion of the land given to him by the family. If he was alive all this none sense would not have happened. In fact, they would not move an inch near the land. Part of the land they are laying claim to belonged to the man and he sold it to us. This Baale you are talking about collected money from the church he even signed for it. We will not buy anybody’s land without paying for it.”
Aside claims and counter claims of the ownership of the land, were allegations of attempted murder, breach of public peace and malicious damage of property by the church, its agents and proxies. The petitions, which were written variously to different organisations such as the police, the Chief of Army Staff and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81Division by a firm of Tunde Popoola and Associates, counsel to the community, the church was accused of using armed military men and police to harass, intimidate and take over the community land.
In a petition sent to the Chief of Army Staff, Abuja, some military personnel were allegedly used by the church to take over the community land. The petition read in part: “Kindly be informed that some unscrupulous uniform men who claimed to be officers from the Nigeria Army had connived with some armed hoodlums to invade Agbodi Village in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State and caused a total breakdown of law and order and forcefully take over the community land.”
It continued: “The fact of the matter was, there is a land tussle between Agbodi Community and Deeper Life Ministry and the matter is currently pending before Ogun State High Court, Suit No AB/246/14. Rather than defend the matter in court, Deeper Life had chosen to employ the services of a land agent known with his deadly antecedent to invade the community with his hoodlums armed with sophisticated weapons, and with the active connivance of military men caused total breach of law and order. The villagers had been sent on compulsory exile as their lives are under serious threat. The whole place is presently littered with cartridges from gunshots.”
But the church refuted all the allegations, saying they were ridiculous. According to them, it was the community that brought a land grabber, Ajagungbale, named Owoeye. “The family went as far as bringing an Ajagungbale called Owoeye to the land who, later saw that the family had sold their land to the church. He told them pointedly that you people have sold your land to the church,” Enabulele said.
He continued: “What Owoeye now said was that the only money they could collect from the church was Owo foundation and roofing, which we calculated at N18million and we paid them N10million, that when we now want to start the foundation we would pay the balance.”
Similar petitions were also written to the GOC 81 Division of the Nigerian Army on the alleged participation of some soldiers in the purported invasion of the community.
•Road leaking to the disputed road
When The Nation sought to know if there was a pending suit on the disputed land, the church said it got an order in 2012 to restrain the community from trespassing on its land. It said the court on January 18, 2012 in suit AB/251/08, granted an application “restraining all the defendants, their servants, agent, privies and or whosoever from committing any further acts of trespass or in any way entering any part of the claimant’s parcel of land…situate at Mowe in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State on the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way or from allotting, transferring any part or portion of the said land to anyone whosoever, or from interfering in any way with the claimants possession of the said land.”
On allegation of thuggery and brigandage both parties are accusing each other of being guilty. The church said two of its members, Frankly Osezua and Festus Orimolade were being made to undergo mental torture and humiliating interrogation by the police. The alleged introduction of police into the matter by the community according to the church made the issue to be messier.
The church said it was made to sign an undertaking under duress that it will not enter into its own land again. It accused one Banjoko of influencing the police to intimidate members of the church. But the Baale said Banjoko is the head of Shodiya family, one of the four families laying claim to the land, hence his involvement in the matter.
However, the church said though it obtained an interlocutory injunction to restrain the community, their proxies and agents from trespassing on the land, it has not foreclosed amicable resolution of the problem. “We have made efforts to settle with them. We, as a church, are not opposed to amicable settlement of the dispute. Last year we asked them to bring proposal on the resolution of the dispute and I believe we can still discuss with them. We have bent over backwards to discuss with them. We could have ignored them because we have the documents and the C of O on the land. And the courts are there to make declaration on the land,” Enabulele said.
KIDNAPPERS struck in a Lagos church on Sunday snatching a three-year-old girl, Bunmi Ajelero, who was playing with her mates.
She was released in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, last night after her parents paid a N300,000 ransom
The kidnappers, it was learnt yesterday, pretended to be worshippers at the Surulere Baptist Church on 52/54 Ojuelegba Road, Surulere, Lagos.
They were said to have lured the little girl away, with the promise of giving her Gala, a popular beef Sausage.
The two men were said to have taken Bunmi away on a motorcycle through Nathan Street, Off Ojuelegba Road, Lagos.
A child ran into the auditorium to alert the church leaders, but before they could come out, the kidnappers had gone.
The girl later identified the kidnappers on the Close Circuit Television (CCTV).
An usher simply identified as Mrs Adisa said she suspected, two women and a man who behaved queerly.
The man, she said, “looked too serious; held the Bible tenaciously and read the programme booklet with utmost seriousness”.
“I couldn’t suspect any evil intention from him since he was a new comer. When we were distributing packs, I gave the women and they demanded for his own unknown that he had already collected one.
“I went outside to bring one for him, on returning, I saw him already with a pack sitting outside with the two women,” she said.
The church gives new comers food pack.
Bunmi’s mother Mrs Toyin Ajelero was distraught when The Nation met her in the church yesterday.
She described the incident as shocking, adding that the CCTV showed the kidnapper told other children that he was going to buy Bunmi Gala.
She said: “Ordinarily, Bunmi won’t follow a stranger but we thank God. We saw that he took Bunmi to the Okada that was waiting and rode off. The church leaders called the family; the father of the child, they brought all the children into the media room to see all the faces of the people at the English and Yoruba service. At the English service, the guy was figured in white shirt by one of the children; he was also figured at the Yoruba service in brown shirt.”
Mrs Ajelero, who was at the Bible Guest House in Ilupeju, Lagos, when the incident occurred rushed down to Surulere on being informed.
She said: “I was at the Bible Guest House, Ilupeju; that is where I serve God. The children came to church here with their father. The father is a member of the media crew, he was in a meeting in the media room after the service and the elder sister was upstairs in the children’s church, the brother too was with the choir for rehearsal. We were to move into the new house we have just rented. So, I was just calling that where are you and how are we moving? My husband said we can’t move now because of what happened; but I didn’t understand. He cut the call. I called again about two hours later; I was just hot, troubled and sweating; my heart was heavy. When I called again to ask for the children, he said he left them with one of their aunties and I said ‘when are we moving,’ and he said ‘no we can’t move.’ I asked him ‘you said something happened the other time’ and he said ‘I shouldn’t worry that he will call back then he cut the called.’ Then I called the aunty whom he said he left them with and I asked her straight: Did anything happen in church today? She said ‘yes’. To who? ‘Is it to my husband or who? That one too said I will call you back and cut off the call. So, immediately, I rushed down here. I saw a crowd of people around. I came in here around 3pm. Though I was on the altar with a group of women, everybody praying and about 4:30pm, it was shown to me that a particular person said he is a kidnapper, that he called my reverend and that means the person used the church bulletin but my reverend is in Owerri, Imo State for the Nigeria Baptist Convention programme going on there. The reverend had to connect with Lagos, to tell them what he had just heard on the phone and that the person requested for the girl’s father’s phone number who is my husband. So, they had to send the number to him and he said he wants to be talking to the father of the child alone. After then, we waited for another number of hours; he called and put the phone on my daughter’s ear to speak with the father; a three-year-old-girl. She spoke with the father and the father said he asked her ‘how are you? And she said ‘she is not fine.’
“Obviously, she has not seen her father because they are so close. Then the guy said that he will send a message that will tell him what to do; So, he called later that he was somewhere in Ibadan, Oyo State. He said he will tell them what to do between 10pm and 11pm. So, the deacon led everyone in prayers. They asked everybody to go home and thanked everyone, over 100 people who were with us. People who saw it on facebook and other social media just started coming. But at after 11pm, we were waiting outside the house and he finally spoke to my husband that if he asked for N5 million, would he have asked for too much? My husband said it is not too much because the life of his daughter is more than that. He said okay, ‘I don’t want to inconvenience you; what about N500, 000? He said because ‘they picked the child for me from a church; that is the second they are bringing for me from a church’ and that he doesn’t want God’s curse to be on him. He later said he should pay N300, 000. My husband said okay and he put the phone on the girl’s ear again; at that time the baby had calmed down and I am sure she had already accepted her fate, she must have known that something was wrong. But at that point, the father said he asked her at after 11pm that ‘are you okay? and she said ‘she is fine.’ She asked for the elderly ones; where is Dammy? The one she follows. Where is Tosin? The elderly one, that she wants to see them; then my husband called me from where I was crying that we should go and sleep. He promised to call back by 10am today (yesterday). He didn’t call at 10 but called at 11:11am and asked them to be coming to Abeokuta. Right now as I am talking, my husband is in Abeokuta with a group of other men of God from here with the church bus since morning. They have not been able to connect anybody there.”
The United Bank of Africa (UBA) Co-operative Multi-purpose Society Limited has filed a suit dragged the Trustees of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) before an High Court in Sagamu, Ogun caiptal for alleged disobedience to order of court over an expanse of land measuring 30.763 acres.
The society is seeking an order of the court to compel the defendant/respondent to pay N150 million as damages as a consequence of the alleged disobedience to the order of the court by the church.
The claimant/applicant, through its lawyer, Yemi Omodele, had filed a “form 48” titled: “Notice of consequence of disobedience to order of court”, dated April 13, this year in the suit numbered HCS/01/2015 before the High Court of Ogun State sitting in Sagamu.
It was served on Pastor Akanni Babawande of the Lands and Survey Department and Pastor Peter Adeyemi, the Head of Department Project, at the Secretariat, RCCG, Kilometer 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Mowe, Ogun State.
Justice E. O. Osinuga of an Ogun State High Court sitting in Sagamu, had ordered parties to maintained status quo and restrained the church, her agents, servants and representatives from carrying out or continuing to carry out any form of construction on the said disputed landed property situated at Ewu Odofin village, off Shimawa road, in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The UBA Co-operative Society had filed a motion on notice and writ in summon and statement of claims, all dated March 18, 2015 and hearing notice dated March 25, this year against the church pursuant to Order 38 Rule 4, 39 Rules 1 and 2 of the rules of the Court 2014.
The claimant/applicant, in its application, sought a sole prayer and filed five documents marked exhibit A-E, including survey plan, layout, photograph of the work done on the land by the claimant, the demolition of what is contained in exhibit C and a letter written by solicitor to the family of the vendor of the claimants which were supported with a 38 point affidavit.
The court noted there were five grounds upon which the application was premised, that is, “the land in dispute belongs to the claimant legitimately sold to it by the land owing family; that the defendant is merely using its influence to oiverride the claimant; that the application is to preserve the res of the suit; the defendant took laws into its hand and that nobody is above the law”.
”It is trite that in an application of this nature, the court would not look into the merit of the substantive suit; but whether from the content of the affidavit, the claimant is deserving of an interlocutory order order of the court to preserve the res.”
While granting an order of interlocutory injunction restraining RCCG from going ahead with any construction work on the land, Justice Osinuga, noted that though the defendant/respondent was served with all the court papers, it however “failed, refused or neglected to file a counter-affidavit to same”, respond nor enter any appearance in court.
“The implication of failure … to file a counter affidavit to controvert the averments in the affidavit in support … It means that the appellant (in this case, the defendant/respondent) have admitted the facts deposed to in the affidavit in support of the originating summon… they have the opportunity of putting their defence across, if any, but chose not to avail themselves of that opportunity,” judge further held.
Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam is the regional secretary of International Federation of Evangelical Students in English and Portuguese-speaking Africa (IFES-ESPA). He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on the ongoing electoral process and how the church can help effect change
What is your general impression of the just-concluded presidential elections?
I am very impressed by how Nigerians conducted themselves during the elections. They were calm, determined, sacrificial and committed to exercising their democratic right to vote and this they did peacefully. Initially, I could tell that Nigerians went to the poll more with apprehension than with excitement. The waiting period for counting, collation and announcing the final results were tense to say the least.
The claims in terms of who got what number of votes, the accusations and the counter-claims by the politicians was beginning to create its own tension but Nigerians were determined to keep the peace and not resort to violence and vandalism as some politicians would have wished.
This display of political maturity by the Nigerian electorate was unprecedented and worthy of commendation. The International Community took note. The presence of foreign observers helped immensely and it was they who told our story to the world.
The just-concluded election also shows that the citizens have reclaimed their rights to determine who their leaders should be through the ballot box. They have also demonstrated that if elected officials fail to deliver the dividends of democracy and choose instead to loot the resources of the nation through their official positions of trust, they will be sent packing from henceforth.
We had gotten to the point when elected officials were becoming tin-gods and their word is law and final. In democracy, the voter is the king. In any true democracy, the voice the people is supreme and their verdict final. From now on, the voice and vote of Nigerians will count!
With a new government about to be formed, do you foresee changes in the nation?
Nigerians voted for change and they will expect nothing short of real change from where we are today as a nation, moving forward. Fortunately, we have elected someone who is committed to bringing change and said as much in his first major speech after he took delivery of his return certificate from INEC.
I hope with the outcome of this election and the yearning for change by Nigerians a changing narrative will emerge. This is the task before the in-coming administration of our president- elect. The Church in Nigeria has a prophetic responsibility to help the new president work to change the narrative of the Nigerian story.
What does this imminent change mean to you?
Some of the changes I hope to see are in fixing corruption, unemployment, especially youth unemployment. The World Bank put the general figures at 22% with youth unemployment at about 38%. Poverty, insecurity and insurgency, the need for good governance that is accountable to the people, an educational sector presently at its lowest downward slide, sustaining the current economic growth rate of 7% which is now being threatened by falling oil prices, power outages, the role of moneybags in our democracy, stealing from the public purse reigns with impunity and many more.
What would you consider the high and low moments of the poll?
The highest point for me was when Nigerians trooped out en-mass in an orderly manner to vote. They wanted to be counted in defining the way forward for Nigeria through the ballot box. The citizens conducted themselves with such admirable civility to the relief of the nation and a waiting world. Please permit me to add this, the expectations of the people is very high and may God help Buhari and his team to deliver.
The second high point was when President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat and called General Muhammadu Buhari. That was the topping of the icing of the cake, moving forward with the Nigeria of our future dreams.
By this singular act and later Buhari extending his hand of fellowship and reconciliation to Jonathan, in one of his first public speeches, shows that both men from now on represent the future Nigeria many of us have prayed and yearned for. This is a great moment to savour and we pray it will last.
There were a couple of low moments. During the waiting period as claims and accusations of who won or did not win raged while the counting was still on-going. The challenge some voters experienced with the card readers and how this could affect the outcome.
Some voices beginning to sound as though the whole election exercise was rubbish – the usual road to nowhere, often associated with Nigeria. But I must confess deep down in my heart, that I had prayed much before, during and after the election and asked God that this election should not result in another June 12.
Then the momentary attempt to disrupt the collation exercise appeared comical, laughable and a chilling reminder of the undesirable in our Nigerianess. Thankfully, it was nipped in the bud.
Are you impressed by the gales of endorsement in the Christian community?
Personally, I am not impressed by the gales of endorsement in the Christian community. But please do not get me wrong, it is not harmful for the Church to have ideological political preferences. The Church is free to have a mind of her own when it comes to political leanings.
However, the church isn’t the architectural structure, which is visible for all to see. They consist of individual members and most times, these members vote based on their political persuasion. To use the pulpit to converse for votes for a particular politician or a political party is wrong. Just as it is wrong for the Christian community to do this, so also it is wrong for the Muslim community to do same.
How much roles should religion play in Nigerians choosing who govern them?
If I am to be truthfully honest, it should play no role at all. May be this is an overreaction. And if this is the case, I am sorry but I am simply sick and tired of the negative influence of religion in our politics. Please let me make clear again, this is just not a matter of concern for the church; the Muslim community is doing exactly the same.
The first point of liberation for any person is coming to terms with one self, the same principle applies to nations. We must come to terms with ourselves and collectively say no to the role of religion in our politics whether as Christians or Muslims.
Crown of Christ Victory Church, 57, Ajewole Street, off Governor’s Road, off Bethel bus stop, Ikotun, Lagos, will hold this year’s three-day special covenant from April 22 to 24.
The all-night session start froms 10 pm.
Chief host Prophet David Yemi Ayilara said the programme, with the theme: “Deliverance from the power of witchcraft (Isaiah 22:5), is meant for women desirous of the fruit of the womb.
“God will visit expectant mothers and those who want the fruit of the womb.” Other expected include Bishop Bayo Adejola, Prophet Dayo James and Praise Machine (guest artiste).
