News

Court Restrains Police From Arresting Pastor Over Alleged N29m Fraud In Enugu

Published

2 years ago

June 26, 2023

Editor

An Enugu State High Court has granted a perpetual injunction restraining the police from arresting the General Overseer of City of Jesus International Ministry, Enugu, Pastor Christopher Orji. Pastor Orji was accused by a former member of the Church, Dr. Adaeze Anyaegbunam of swindling her of over N29 million.

Anyaegbunam had petitioned against Pastor Orji to the office of the Assistant Inspector General of police, AIG, claiming that she donated over N29 million to the church in various forms and wanted the money returned to her, a decision the pastor rejected.

Following incessant police harassment, Pastor Orji approached the court and filed a fundamental rights suit to stop police from harassing and intimidating him or members of his church in the matter.

Delivering judgment in the Fundamental Rights Suit marked HAGB/50M/2021 between Pastor Christopher Orji (Applicant) and Inspector General, Nigeria Police Force; Commissioner of Police Enugu State; Assistant Inspector General, Nigeria Police Force (Force CID Annex Agbani Road) Enugu State; SP Chidi Nwanze and Dr. Adaeze Anyaegbunam as 1st to 5th Respondents, Justice Okey Anike restrained the police from re-arresting or detaining the Pastor.

In the judgment (a Certified True Copy of the court judgement available), delivered on March 17, 2022, Justice Anike held that “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Respondents by themselves or by their agents, privies, or workers howsoever described from instigating, searching, inviting and seeking to arrest and further re-arrest, forcing or compelling the Applicant to pay any sum of money howsoever described or make a return of the free will donations arising from the religious relationship between the 5 respondent and the applicant is allowed.

“Consequently, the 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Respondents by themselves or by their agents, privies or workers howsoever described are hereby restrained from re-arresting the Applicant in respect of this matter or forcing/compelling the Applicant to pay or refund any sum of money or item to the 5th respondent…”

In an affidavit in support of the Cleric’s fundamental rights application deposed to by one Innocent Orji, a trustee of the Ministry stated that Dr. Anyaegbunam who is resident in the United Kingdom, was a member and partner of the ministry who “participated, partnered and shared testimonies on her personal experience while partnering in the missionary works of the church.”

Members of the church, according to him, do give freewill offerings and donations and also sow seeds of faith as they wished.

Anyaegbunam according to the affidavit had insisted that she was led by the spirit of God to support the church materially but the church was initially reluctant to accept.

When she continued to pressure the church through continuous WhatSapp messages and recorded voice calls to receive and accept her free will donations and gifts, the church then received her willful and voluntarily donation of a Toyota Sienna Car with relevant purchase and transfer documents.

Surprisingly, the deponent said, she sent a letter dated 30th September 2021 via her solicitors giving the church 15 days to return the vehicle and all freewill gifts, donations and cash that she had given to the church.

The affidavit further stated that Anayaegbunam, accompanied by two policemen later came to the temporary site of the church while service was going to serve the same demand letter and threatened to arrest and humiliate Pastor Orji and the others if they failed to do so.

The deponent said that the applicant was eventually invited by the police and a statement and undertaking forcefully obtained from him to produce all the offerings and donations made by Dr. Anyaegbunam to the church within a specific period of time or face re-arrest.

He stressed that the applicant was compelled to seek protection from the court out of fear and apprehension over the development.

Reacting to the judgment, Counsel the Pastor, C.C. Eze commended the judgment and dismissed earlier reports on the matter which he said were mischievous fabrications that were designed to deceive, mislead and confuse the public.

He further disclosed that a civil suit filed by the same Dr. Adaeze Anyaegbunam in Suit No: E/217/2022; DR ADAEZE ANYAEGBUNAM VS PASTOR CHRISTOPHER ORJI & ANOR wherein Dr. Anyaegbunam had sought for the declarations and orders of the High Court, to recover the alleged Sienna car, other material gifts and cash has, also been struck out.
VANGUARD

News

FG Shuts 22 Illegal Tertiary Institutions

Published

3 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The National Commission for Colleges of Education has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education.

The discovery was made during a crackdown on illegal colleges of education in the country.

The development was revealed in the commission’s achievements, seen by our correspondent.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.

“The NCCE conducted personnel audit, financial monitoring in all the 21 federal colleges of education,” the commission said.

President Bola Tinubu had recently urged the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education to weed out illegal higher institutions of learning in the country.

Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria in Abuja, the President ordered the NUC, the NBTE, and other agencies to take decisive action against what he described as “certificate millers” undermining the credibility of the education sector.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, warned that the integrity of the academic system must not be compromised.

“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” the President said.

He added, “The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions both within and outside the country have no place in our education ecosystem.”

News

EFCC Orders Arrest Of Dismissed Officer On Lege Miami’s Show

Published

4 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has condemned the actions of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, who was recently spotted participating in a matchmaking programme on social media platforms hosted by popular entertainer Lege Miami.

The agency has ordered his immediate arrest for retaining official EFCC property, including an identity card, following his dismissal for certificate forgery.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on its official X handle on Monday, said Folarin served as a driver at the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate.

He was, however, dismissed after investigations confirmed he had forged his academic credentials.

It said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, condemned in the strongest terms, the involvement of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, in a matchmaking programme running on Lege Miami social media platforms.”

“Folarin was recently dismissed from the Commission for certificate forgery. He was a driver at the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”

The statement said EFCC Executive Chairma,n Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered Folarin to be arrested and emphasised that Folarin’s actions should not be associated with the commission.

“The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered his arrest for being in possession of some Commission’s properties, including an identity card, which he should have handed over upon being dismissed from the EFCC.

“The public is advised against associating Folarin’s post-dismissal conduct with the EFCC,” the statement concluded.

News

NERC Transfers Regulation Of Electricity Market To Bayelsa

Published

4 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency.

In a notice on its social media handles on Monday, the commission said this was in compliance with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023.

“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State from the Commission to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency,” the commission said.

Recall that with the Electricity Act 2023, the commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the interstate/international generation, transmission, supply, trading, and system operations.

The Act also mandates any state that intends to establish and regulate intrastate electricity markets to deliver a formal notification of its processes and requests NERC to transfer regulatory authority over electricity operations in the state to the state regulator.

The transfer order by NERC directed Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc to incorporate a subsidiary distribution company to assume responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Bayelsa State from PHED.

PHED was also directed to complete the incorporation of PHED SubCo within 60 days from August 21, 2025.

“The subcompany shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from BYERA, among other directives,” the commission said.

It concluded that all transfers envisaged by the order shall be completed by February 20, 2026.

With this order, Bayelsa has joined states like Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo and Plateau, which have got the power to regulate electricity markets.

The state can now generate, transmit, and distribute electricity while issuing licences to investors within the value chain.