Nigerian Cleric Slams N500Million Suit On Church Member Who Demanded Return Of His Lexus SUV After Alleged Failed Prophecy
Dr. David Emmanuel Ovie, the Head Pastor and General Overseer of the God in Action Liberation Mission has slammed a five hundred million naira (N500 million) go well with on one in every of his church members who demanded the return of his SUV from the church after an alleged failed prophecy.
SaharaReporters gathered the church member recognized as Temitope Monday Diamond gave his Lexus RX330 to the church after a prophecy.
Temitope advised SaharaReporters that the pastor of the church at Okuokoko within the Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State requested him to sacrifice his most treasured property in order that issues may work properly for him financially.
He stated, “This pastor advised me to sacrifice my most treasured property in order that issues will likely be working properly for me financially which I did by sacrificing my car, Lexus RX330.
“After 4 months and things had not picked up as he stated, my wife known as him to know what was occurring however he obtained indignant and advised me that my spouse was impolite and that he wished to refund the cash he obtained when he offered the car – which is N4 million.
“We have now been ready for him to send the cash since round December and January however he had refused to take action. We known as and texted him however no response, we needed to go to the church with just a few associates and two troopers who weren’t armed, simply to accompany us (for safety functions).
“He known as the youths of the community to beat us up earlier than handing us over to Ebrumede police station. After we obtained there, we had been detained. We later obtained bailed with N200,000 earlier than the Divisional Police Officer may hear from us. The DPO known as us to his workplace and we narrated every part to him because the pastor lied to him that we had been kidnappers.
“The DPO judged the case in our favour and demanded that the car be refunded or he ought to pay the N4 million he constituted of promoting the automobile. He agreed that he can be paying a million naira each week in February in order that by month’s end, he would end paying the money.
“By the second week of March, he nonetheless hadn’t paid a penny. Then the IPO answerable for the case known as to inform us that the lawyer was pleading on his behalf and that he can be paying a million naira each month finish. Then I obtained indignant and stated if he (the pastor) wished to emphasize me over the cash, he ought to return my automobile for breaching the settlement we had on the DPO’s office.
“We later heard that he filed a go well with in opposition to us at Orerokpe Excessive Court. The court was to sit down on Monday, April 15 however was adjourned to Might 10.
“The lawsuit says he’s suing us for N500 million for coming to his church with a military and that the car can’t be returned as a result of it had been offered. And that we’re utilizing police from Asaba to threaten him and his members, which is false.”
Nevertheless, in a court document obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday signed by one Ogedengbe, the Applicant (Normal Overseer) alleged that he was arrested and detained on January 21, which Temitope stated was the identical day he and his associates stormed the church to ask for the N4 million he had promised to ship.
The respondents within the doc are Temitope Monday Diamond as the first respondent; Divisional Police Officer, Ebrumede Police Station, Delta State as 2nd respondent and the Commissioner of Police in Delta State as third respondent.
The aid sought by the applicant reads partially, “A declaration that the arrest and detention of the applicant on the twenty first day of January, 2024 by officers of the third Respondent connected to the workplace of the 2nd respondent on the behest of the first Respondent is a gross violation of the applicant proper to private liberty assured beneath part 35 (1) of the structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“A declaration that the threatened arrest of the applicant by officers of the third respondent on the occasion of the first respondent over demand for the return of a automobile donation made to the God in Action Liberation Mission is a threatened violation of the applicant’s proper to private liberty assured by part 33(1) of the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“The sum of 5 hundred million naira (N500, 000,000.00 solely as damages.”
When contacted by SaharaReporters to listen to his model of the story, the cleric stated, “What I can let you know is that the matter is in court. I charged the matter to court as a result of they got here into the church with thugs and began combating me and making an attempt to hurt me.
“It was throughout a reside service in the course of a marriage; that was when my members began combating them.
“They got here with weapons; knife and battle axe. Certainly one of them got here with a gun as I used to be advised. We handed them over to the community chairman whereas he took them to the police station.”
When requested whether or not he was arrested and detained by the police on January 21 as claimed within the court doc, he stated, “My lawyer requested me to not reply any additional questions.”
“I don’t know what the structure says, I only know the bible,” he added.
