Admin l Friday, February 18, 2022
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Two church workers of Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministry (a.k.a. Grace Nation International or Liberation City) were on Thursday arraigned before a Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja for alleged theft of N13 million.
The two church workers, Ms Success Ibilibor Udoka and Ms Prosper Chinonso Iheukwumere, were arraigned before Justice Hakeem Oshodi by the Special Fraud Unit, SFU, of the Nigeria Police Force on four count charges bothering of theft of church money.
The police, through its Head of Legal Department, Mr Emmanuel Jackson informed the court that the police were ready for trial and urged the court for the defendants to take their plea.
Both church workers pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against them. Subsequently, their counsel, Mr Nicholas Akahabue, orally pleaded with the court to grant them bail on self-recognition and liberal terms.
Mr Akahabue told the court that he was willing to stand surety for the defendants if his prayer was granted and ensure that the suspects refund the stolen money to the church before the trial comes to an end.
In a reaction, the Police Counsel, Mr Jackson, who didn’t oppose the request, urged the court to grant them bail on a condition that would ensure they appear for trial.
After that, Justice Oshodi granted the defendants bail on self-recognition and ordered that the defendants deposit the sum of N5 million with the court registrar within thirty days.
Similarly, the judge ordered the defence counsel to deposit his certificate of Call to Bar within thirty days with the court registrar as a guarantee to always present the defendants for trial.
However, Justice Hakeem Oshodi ruled that if they could not meet the bail conditions within the stipulated time, the defendants should forfeit the bail.
