Ondo State Pastor Arraigned And Remanded In Alleged Kidnapping Case......
SaharaReporters
April 01, 2014
A self-proclaimed Ondo State Pastor, Emmanuel Chigozie Okpara, was arraigned today and remanded in custody before a magistrate court sitting in Oke Eda, Akure, in an alleged kidnapping case.
The Pastor appeared in court with Evelyn Jonathan, 27, who is also facing charges of kidnapping and possession of weapons. Others responsible for the kidnapping still remain at large.
Pastor Chigozie is accused of complicity with a group of boys in the abduction of a two year old baby Bolanle Olowokere, the daughter of Engineer Bayo and Mrs. Blessing Olowookere in March of this year.
At the time of the abduction, the group stole the mother’s cell phone, worth Naira 15,000 and cash of Naira 200,000.
Pastor Chigozie, who claims to be the pastor of Believer’s Prayer Ministry on Umudagu Road, Orjiin Owerri, Imo State, maintains he had nothing to do with the abduction and the kidnappers had approached him for prayers.
During his police interrogation, Pastor Chigozie said " I never knew they wanted to kidnap the child because when we arrived in Akure I was inside the vehicle when they brought the baby and one of them brought out a gun and said this was a case of kidnapping and anybody who misbehaves would be shot and that was how it all started".
A week ago, the Nigerian Police Force, Ondo State Commissioner for Police, Isaac Chinoyerem Eke paraded the men before newsmen and accused them of the kidnapping.
The Prosecutor handling the case, ASP Zakari Ibrahim, told the court that the accused were armed with guns and other dangerous weapons while carrying out the kidnapping. He countered the Pastor’s claim of innocence when the told the court that during the police investigation they discovered it was the Pastor who took the kidnapped baby to Evelyn Jonathan in Bayelsa State before calling the mother of the child and demanding 10 million Naira ransom.
SaharaReporters learned from a source the Pastor held the baby hostage for 10 days before being caught by police.
The offense is punishable under the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Law of Ondo State, 2010 and Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap R11 Laws Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Chief Magistrate Johnson Adelegan, presiding in court, did not accept the plea of the accused or ask for their counsel, but ordered the accused persons be remanded in prison custody so the court could obtain legal advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution over the case.
The case is adjourned until Tuesday, April 29, 2014.
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