Wilson Adekumola
A 43-year-old pastor, Paul Oyewole, has been charged before a Chief Magistrate Court in Ondo town, Ondo state, for purportedly publishing and posting his obituary on Social Media, in order to avoid payment of N3m owed his church member.
The pastor was taken to court for fraudulently obtaining N3m from one Boyede Emmanuel, claiming to pay back the money within seven days, which he defaulted.
Police Prosecutor, Akao Moremi, told the court that “the defendant alleged to have falsely published and posted his obituary on WhatsApp after he had sent a fake alert to U.B.A account No. 2140338283, knowing fully that he did not have such an amount in his bank account.
He stated further that the defendant “threatened the complainant on phone, with the intent to intimidate him and also conducted himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace, by stripping himself naked in front of the complainant’s house.
Explaining the consequence of the crime, Police Prosecutor said he committed the offence sometime between November 25, 2021, and May 7, 2022, along the Valentino area in Ondo, contrary to and punishable under Sections 419, 86, and 125A(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
The clergyman pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.
The Police Prosecutor told the court that he would bring four witnesses to testify in the case and applied for a date to enable him study the case file.
The counsel to the defendant, Mrs Queen Arokoyo, however, applied for the bail of her client in the most liberal terms with a promised to the court that he would not jump bail.
The defendant was then granted bail of N1 million with two honest sureties each in like sum by the trial Presiding Magistrate, Mrs Mosunmola Ikujuni.
Ikujuni, said one of the sureties must have a landed property, residing within the jurisdiction, while the original and photocopy of the Identification card must be attached.
The case was, however, adjourned till February 13, 2023, for a hearing.