The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Reverend Father

  • ‘Reverend Father’ defrauds me, says victim

    A young woman, Oluwatosin Olaogun yesterday said she was hypnotised and swindled by an old man, who pretended to be a priest and two of his accomplices.

    Olaogun said the incident occurred around 12pm on Wednesday at Akerele, Surulere, Lagos after they asked her for direction.

    According to the lady, the supposed priest claimed he was one of the Reverend Fathers that came to Lagos to pray for some kids who had accident and were admitted at a hospital in Bode Thomas.

    Narrating her ordeal, Olaogun said she lost her phones and money to the swindlers, who she said were aged between 53 and 70 years.

    Olaogun wrote: “I was jazzed and duped at Akerele, Surulere, around 12pm yesterday by three old men. One of them pretended to be a Reverend Father and the other pretended to be passing. The last was the cab man.

    “The supposed priest was in a cab. They asked direction from me and I told them I don’t know. As I was about leaving, I helped them call another passer-by they were trying to stop.

    “The man asked the old man in the cab if he was one of the priests that came to pray for kids that had accident and were in a hospital at Bode Thomas and he said yes.

    “He said he saw a revelation that we should be careful crossing the road and travelling. As we made to leave, the other supposed passer-by said there must be a reason for the priest to say that (at this point, I was already under their control).

    “So, we crossed over and stopped the cab. Then, we got in and prophesies started concerning us. I was adamant at first but the jazz was strong. Unfortunately, I cannot recall anything they said in the car.

    “I could not even talk. I was just looking and that’s all I could recall. The priest then asked the other man to get down and he revealed what was going on in the man’s life and asked me to write it down.

    “I did and we later went to pick the man up. Then, I was asked to drop all I had on me. I did and that was it. Now, I lost my phone and money too.

    “It was after I got down from the cab that it dawned on me that three men had defrauded me. They used a red cab.”

  • Court adjourns reverend father’s rape case

    A  Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama on Wednesday adjourned until May 25 to commence hearing in a case of rape of a minor brought against a reverend farher, Anthony Ochigbo.

    The case which is being tried by Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf was adjourned after the prosecuting counsel, Mr John Ijagbemi, wrote the court asking for adjournment.

    Ijagbemi said he was attending another court for a different case.

    The court had sometime in November 2016 adopted the bail condition given to Ochigbo earlier in another court.

    The counsel told the court that Ochigbo, 44, of Catholic Church of Assumption, Asokoro, Abuja, on Aug. 15, 2016 allegedly abused a 10-year-old girl sexually.

    He said Ochigbo had an unlawful sexual intercourse with her in the church which contravened  Sections 31 (1) and 32(2) of the Child Rights Act, 2003.

    Ochigbo was earlier arraigned before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi on Aug. 30, 2016 during courts’ vacation.

    Adeniyi granted him a N2 million bail with two sureties, who must be civil servants not below Grade Level 14.

    In addition, he said the sureties must be reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

     

  • Court adjourns reverend father’s rape case until May 25

    A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama on Wednesday adjourned until May 25 to commence hearing in a case of rape of a minor brought against a reverend father, Anthony Ochigbo.

    The case which is being tried by Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf was adjourned after the prosecuting counsel, Mr John Ijagbemi, wrote the court asking for adjournment.

    Ijagbemi said he was attending another court for a different case.

    The court had sometime in November 2016 adopted the bail condition given to Ochigbo earlier in another court.

    The counsel told the court that Ochigbo, 44, of Catholic Church of Assumption, Asokoro, Abuja, on Aug. 15, 2016 allegedly abused a 10-year-old girl sexually.

    He said Ochigbo had an unlawful sexual intercourse with her in the church which contravened  Sections 31 (1) and 32(2) of the Child Rights Act, 2003.

    Ochigbo was earlier arraigned before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi on Aug. 30, 2016 during courts’ vacation.

    Adeniyi granted him a N2 million bail with two sureties, who must be civil servants not below Grade Level 14.

    In addition, he said the sureties must be reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

  • Catholic bishop appeals for release of kidnapped Reverend Father, two Sisters

    Catholic bishop appeals for release of kidnapped Reverend Father, two Sisters

    The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, the Most Reverend Felix Ajakaye, yesterday called for the release of two Reverend Sisters and a Reverend Father who were kidnapped while on official assignment.

    Ajakaye, in a statement said that Rev. Fr. John Adeyi, the Vicar-General of Catholic Diocese of Oturkpo, have been in captivity since Sunday, April 24 while Reverend Sisters Perpetua Apo and Bukola Familade, and their driver, Mr. Zwugwa Zibai, were kidnapped on Thursday, May 12.

    “For over three weeks, Rev. Fr. John Adeyi, the Vicar-General of Catholic Diocese of Oturkpo, has been in captivity,” he said.

    “The humble Parish Priest of St Bernard Catholic Church, Okpoka, Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State, was kidnapped on a highway.

    “He was returning from an outstation of the parish, where he had gone to celebrate the Holy Eucharist (Mass). He is the first Catholic priest from Oturkpo,” he said.

    Ajakaye said that since the abduction of Adeyi, there had been no information concerning his whereabouts.

    “Last week, Thursday, May 12, two Sisters of St Louis, Reverend Sisters Perpetua Apo and Bukola Familade, and their driver, Mr. Zwugwa Zibai, were also abducted.

    “The three of them were travelling from Kaduna to Ijebu-Itele in Ogun State for a programme when their vehicle broke down at Kajola on Ore-Lagos road.

    “They then called some Reverend Sisters in the neighbouring town for help. By the time the Sisters and others got to the scene, they found the vehicle but the three were nowhere to be found.

    “It was later established that they had been abducted. These unfortunate incidents are not palatable at all. Indeed, apart from the two cases of abduction, there are other kidnap cases pending, both known and unknown,” he said.

    Ajakaye appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians and the government to proffer practical and lasting solutions to the menace of abduction plaguing the country.

    “We must stop chasing the shadows. Whenever somebody is abducted, it is sickening to hear state governors prepared to give millions of naira to anybody or group with any information on the whereabouts of the abducted persons. Let such governors look inwards and do the needful,” he said.

    The cleric stressed that Nigeria ought to be habitable for all citizens, adding that the country should be “where there is true love, justice, peace, harmony and development”.

    “In this light, I call on all well-meaning Nigerians to appeal to the abductors of all persons in captivity to release them.

    “These include the abductors of Rev. Fr. John Adeyi, Rev. Sr. Perpetua Apo and Rev. Sr. Bukola Familade, and their driver, Mr Zwugwa Zibai.

    “The Catholic Church, the Catholic Women Religious – all the Sisters of the different Religious Congregations – are pleading with their abductors to please release them.

    `They should release them so that they can continue their humble service to humanity, as directed by God,” Ajakaye said.