Mr Solomon Arase
An ex-member of Christ Embassy Church and her staff have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari against the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase.
They alleged that the Nigeria’s top cop used his office and position to “obstruct and pervert the course of justice” in a case of assault and battery involving them and Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s ministry.
The duo of Mrs Uchenna Eshareturi and Mr. Daniel Ukpai have called on President Buhari to use his office and position as the supreme guardian of the law in Nigeria to reopen the case and discipline Mr. Arase for “behaving unprofessionally”.
Also copied in the document are 18 others, including the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode as well as international organizations, including Amnesty International and the United Nations, National Human Rights Commission among others.
Mr. Arase was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in the dying days of his administration after the latter was defeated by President Buhari in March.
Mrs. Eshareturi, the Chief Executive Officer of Eventz.Com Limited in Abuja, and her staff, Mr. Ukpai, alleged in the petition to President Buhari that on the 21 November last year, they were assaulted by Pastor Dave Benson and 20 other members of the Christ Embassy Church in Oregun area of Lagos after a business deal between the company and Christ Embassy Church went bad.
“The assault and battery on our Clients was occasioned on our Clients as a result of a disagreement and row our Clients had with Pastor Dave Benson over a dispute that ensued from a commercial contract our clients had with Pastor Dave Benson of the Christ Embassy Church to rent LED Screens to the Church for the IPPC Exhibition (International Pastors and Partners Conference Exhibition) that took place at the Christ Embassy Exhibition Centre, Ize lyamu Street, Oregun, Lagos from 18th November, 2014 to 26th November, 2014,” their lawyer, Chief Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla of OBONO, OBONO & ASSOCIATES, said in the petition.
“Rather than resolving this disagreement peacefully, Pastor Dave Benson ordered one Pastor Ayodele Adedeji in company of over 20 (Twenty) Pastors, Staff and Security Men at the Christ Embassy Church to forcefully eject our Clients from their premises where our Clients had gone to demand the replacement of the LED Screen valued at over N35, 000,000.00 (Thirty-Five Million Naira) that was damaged by the electricity power surge that took place at the Church premises,” he said.
While noting that the attack on Mrs. Eshareturi was so severe, he added, “that her pregnancy was forcefully terminated in her womb while Mr. Ukpai was stomped on and severely distressed in his chest and left unconscious until he was rescued by a team of Police Officers who where informed of the crisis by a passer by.”
The matter was reported to the Nigeria Police Force Alausa Divisional Police Headquarters in Lagos and an investigation was opened despite, the lawyer alleged, “efforts by the Christ Embassy to frustrate investigation by giving the impression that the matter was a mere dispute between members of the Church”.
The petitioners alleged that when it became obvious to the church that the Police Force was determine to properly investigate the matter, it sent a petition to Mr. Arase who was then the Deputy Inspector of Nigeria Police Force based in Lagos.
Mr. Arase, the petitioners alleged, “regrettably acted unprofessionally and against the grains of natural justice by influencing the suspension of the investigation of the matter.”
“Until now, the matter has been supressed to the chagrin and consternation of our clients through the instrumentality of Mr. Solomon Arase who unfortunately succumb to the antics and scheming of the hierarchy of the Christ Embassy Church,” the lawyer said in the petition to President Buhari.
The petitioners alleged that directives by the former Inspector-General of Police that the matter be thoroughly investigated were not carried out by Mr. Arase. Another petition to the Police Service Commission was also not also fruitful. Having explored all means, they sent a letter to President Buhari this week to seek his intervention.
“In the light of the above, our Clients humbly request you use your good office and goodwill as Mr. President to wade into this matter, thus:
“Direct the investigation and prosecution of the case reported by our Client on the 21st November, 2014, against Pastor Dave Benson and cohorts;
“Direct the investigation of the role played by Mr. Solomon Arase and other Senior Police Officers in the suppression, obstruction and perversion of the course of justice in a matter reported by our Client against Pastor Dave Benson and other members of the Christ Embassy Church,” the lawyer pleaded.
Mrs Eshareturi has since left Christ Embassy Church to seek justice, embittered by the treatment she received from her ex-church and the pregnancy she lost.
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