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| Ezeiru |
Many, especially his shocked church members, are still wondering what would make their daddy in the Lord fraudulently sell their church. Recently, the General Overseer of Christ Citizen
Glorious Assembly Church, Pastor Ikechukwu Ezeiru, was arraigned
before the Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly selling the
church building and land.
SHOWBIZPLUSng gathered that Ezeiru had earlier been brought before the same court for allegedly defrauding a church member, Ifeanyi Ohazurume, of N7m.
The police said on Thursday that the
43-year-old sold the church building and land on Plots 9A and 9B,
Family Estate, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, after which he absconded
with the proceeds of the sale.
The church trustees – Ifeanyi Ohazurume,
Stella Johnson, George Ndubuisi and Ozuruonye Onwuka – reported the
matter to the police and a manhunt was reportedly launched for the
defendant since March 2013 that the incident happened.
Upon his arrest, he was arraigned on three counts of fraudulent sale of property and stealing.
Our correspondent gathered that Ezeiru sold the church building for N7.5m, while the land was sold for N5m.
The charges read in part, “That you,
Pastor Ikechukwu Ezeiru, and others at large, being the General Overseer
of a church known as Christ Citizen Glorious Assembly Church, Plots 9A
and 9B, Family Estate, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, in the month of
March 2013, in the Lagos Magisterial District with intent to defraud,
did sell church building and land, property of Christ Citizen Glorious
Assembly, represented by the trustees, Ifeanyi Ohazurume, Stella
Johnson, George Ndubuisi and Ozuruonye Onwuka….
“That you being the General Overseer of a
church known as Christ Citizen Glorious Assembly Church, Plots 9A and
9B, Family Estate Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, did steal the sum of
N7,500,000, property of the church….”
DSP P.O. Ogumba and DSP Etim Nkankuk,
who represented the prosecution, said the offences were punishable under
sections 409, 324, 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria,
2011.
The defendant pleaded not guilty and elected summary trial at the court.
His defence counsel, Kingsley Essien, and Oladapo Daniel, asked the court to grant him bail in liberal terms.
However, Ogumba, while refusing the bail
application in liberal terms said, “This is the second time that the
defendant will be appearing before this court. The first time, he was
here on the issues of fraud and false pretences. For this one, he has
been in hiding for some time and we had to look for him. We want him
admitted to bail in reasonable terms, and not liberal terms.”
Ogumba added that the second count carried a term of seven years imprisonment upon conviction.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. A.A.
Demi-Ajayi, said she was not ready to be “lectured” on the issue of
bail, which was at the discretion of the court.
She said, “It is true that the defendant
has a matter pending before this court for which he has not failed to
show up. This court sees no reason why he should not be admitted to
bail. He is therefore admitted to bail in the sum of N1m with two
responsible sureties in like sum. The sureties should be at least 40
years of age, resident in Lagos, with evidence of tax payment, and
affidavit of means. The addresses and means of livelihood of the
sureties should also be verified.”
The matter was adjourned till May 26, 2014 for mention.
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