Christ Apostolic Church Crisis: Clerics to Be Prosecuted

An Oyo State High Court
ruled that a former President
of the Christ Apostolic
Church, Elijah Oluseye, and
others, should answer for fraud charges
brought against them. The decision was
made on September 19, 2013, Thursday.
Justice Abimbola Adejumo-Obaseki, who made
the pronouncement at a court session in
Ibadan, said evidences and documents in
support of the charge against the accused
persons are strong enough to allow their
prosecution.
Other persons standing trial with Mr. Olusheye
are Johnson Ayo Olabisi, the Oyo State
Chairman of the Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN); Gideon Okegwemeh, the general
secretary of a faction of the church's
executive; and Abdulhakeem Mohammed of
the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, Abuja.
They were accused of conspiracy and forgery
in a suit against them by the Federal
Government.
While delivering the ruling, the judge said a
prima facie case has been established by the
prosecution against the accused persons in
seven out of the nine-count charges.
According to him, though the defence lawyer
only responded to an initial five-count charge
which the prosecutor had filed to amend to
nine-count on February 13, and had been
allowed accordingly, the court's ruling would
be based on the amended charges.
He said counts one to six of the charge
centred on allegations of forgery of minutes of
meetings, conspiracy, fraudulently obtaining
registration certificate of the Christ Apostolic
Church CAC among others.
All these, the judge maintained, would require
that the accused persons put up defence,
particularly, on some of the grievous
allegations raised.
The judge, however, struck out counts 7 and 8
for lack of substantive evidence.
Noting that a no-case submission could only
subsist if prosecution evidences are lacking in
merit, the judge said upon perusal, he was
convinced that evidences supporting counts 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 are strong enough to link
the accused persons to the crime.
He said they would need to clear themselves
before the court.
The case has been adjourned to October 28
and 29 and November 15 to allow the accused
persons open their defence.
The case, which started some 22 years back,
has led to a sharp division within church with
the two factions laying claim to its ownership.
The then factional leaders, Nelson Udofia and
Joshua Ogunlade, died in the process.