By Lawrence Njoku, Enugu
An Enugu State High Court has granted a perpetual injunction restraining the police from arresting the General Overseer of the City of Jesus International Ministry, Enugu, Pastor Christopher Orji, accused of swindling a former member of the church, Dr. Adaeze Anyaegbunam.
Anyaegbunam had dragged Orji to the police, claiming that she donated over N29 million, including a Toyota car to the church for various projects, and demanded that they be returned to her, which the cleric ignored.
To prevent harassment in the bid to recover the money, the cleric approached the court for protection and filed a fundamental rights suit to stop the police from intimidating him and members of his church over the matter.
Delivering judgment in the suit marked HAGB/50M/2021, Justice Okey Anike, barred the police from re-arresting or detaining the cleric.
Anike also barred the police from instigating, searching, inviting and seeking to arrest or further re-arrest, and forcing the applicant to pay any sum of money, or refund donations arising from the religious relationship.
In his supporting affidavit deposed to by one Innocent Orji, a trustee of the Ministry, the cleric said the United Kingdom based Anyaegbunam was a member and partner of the ministry who “participated and shared testimonies of her personal experience while partnering in the missionary works of the church.”
He said his members give freewill offerings and donations, and also sow seeds of faith as they wished.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the cleric, C.C Eze, commended the court, saying the judiciary has always remained the last hope of the common man.
Source: The Guardian