Posted by By BOLU-OLU ESHO, Ado-Ekiti on
Following the attack on Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C), Oke Ituni in Adebayo area of Ado-Ekiti about a fortnight ago, the lawyer, who allegedly invited the hoodlums who invaded the church and injured the members, has been arraigned with four other suspects over the incident.
• Lawyer in trouble over church invasion
Following the attack on Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C), Oke Ituni in Adebayo area of Ado-Ekiti about a fortnight ago, the lawyer, who allegedly invited the hoodlums who invaded the church and injured the members, has been arraigned with four other suspects over the incident.
The lawyer, Abdulkareem Lawal, who was described as a human rights lawyer, was arraigned with the others, for the destruction of property of the church and theft of N150,000.
The other suspects were Tajudeen Omotosho, 30, Dele Aladesanmi, 18, Daniel David, 23 and Kamoru Lateef, 22. They were arraigned before Magistrate Johnson Apuabi on a five-count charge.
The accused persons were charged with breaking into the church building; forceful removal and unlawfully detention of Elder Gabriel and Oladapo Oyesanmi in the OPC building at Atikankan, Ado-Ekiti against their will. The offences are punishable under Section 365 of the criminal Code Cap 30 Vol.11, laws of Ondo State of Nigeria as applicable in Ekiti State.
All the accused pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them. Their counsels, however, prayed the court to grant them bail.
Magistrate Apuabi while responding to the bail application said, "it is a fact that the first accused (Abdulkareem Lawal) is one of the senior practising lawyer within the jurisdiction of this court and an official in the Bar Association ."
Apuabi, however, said that "the judicial notice that the court has of the above facts cannot be over looked simply because the first accused is in the present situation, therefore, bail is granted to the first accused on self and personal recognition in the sum of N50,000'.
Daily Sun learnt that the attack on the church resulted from a motor accident involving a member of the church, Mrs Mosunmola Daramola. Mrs Daramola, who was said to be learning to drive, had inadvertently hit Lawal's car, which was parked directly opposite the church, with her car. It was reportedly agreed that his car be repaired by Daramola.
But the matter assumed a dangerous dimension when Lawal came to demand for his car which repair had not been completed. Lawal allegedly forced his way into the church premises during a service at 7.00p.m on Tuesday last week. Consequently, a pastor in the church ordered the church door closed against Lawal, who thereafter allegedly made distress call to the leader of a faction of OPC.
The OPC leader was said to have sent three of his men to the lawyer. The men reportedly came in three cars and motorcycles and forced their way into the church, allegedly beating to stupor some members of the church among whom were 58year- old Gabriel Otokola and Mr Oladipo Oyesanmi, 30. The duo were allegedly whisked away by the invaders but were later released. They were still receiving treatment at the state Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti as at the time of filing this report.