Eight head pastors of the Christ Apostolic Church, Supreme Council faction, are being investigated by the police over a leadership tussle that is tearing the faction apart.
The clergymen are being quizzed over allegations of conspiracy, stealing, impersonation and swearing to a false oath, among others.
This, our correspondent gathered, was sequel to a petition written by some members of the church against the eight pastors.
The petition, signed by counsel to the church members, A.R. Hammed, among others, indicated that the said pastors “illegally presented themselves as the leaders of the Supreme Council to misrepresent, mislead and deceive members of the church and (the) public at large.”
It alleged the former General Superintendent and General Secretary, Pastors J. A. Adeoloye and J. O. Oguntile, respectively, of retiring and planting their stooges in their positions. It also alleged that they planted the junior pastors in their position to use them to siphon funds from the church.
The petition further accused the retired pastors of compulsorily retiring 30 other pastors, along with themselves, on July 1, 2018, a decision the petition claimed was against the constitution of the church.
It added that in spite of these, seven other pastors conspired with the retired General Superintendent to appoint themselves as president, general superintendent, general evangelist, general secretary, general treasurer, legal adviser, and publicity secretary.
The seven pastors, according to the petition, claimed that they were appointed by the retired general superintendent and general secretary in November, 2018 whereas they retired on July 1, 2018.
The petitioners emphasised that of the seven alleged illegal appointments that of the General Treasurer was done to enable the embattled pastors “gain access to the accounts of the church.”
The petition accused the pastors of withdrawing large sums of money from the church account from which they bought exotic vehicles for themselves.
The petition, read in parts,
“The self-acclaimed leaders of Christ Apostolic Church are operating as an illegal body with no certificate of incorporation. The original and the only recognised certificate of the Christ Apostolic Church Nigeria (dated the 4th May of 1943 which was amended on the 16th day of December 1985 with Registration number 147) is in the custody and under the control of the authentic leaders of the church led by Pastor S. O. Ogundare.
“The heinous activities of the individuals became more than an eyesore when they brought in one Pastor A.O. Akande who had earlier retired as the General Treasurer of the church to come and continue his act of being the General Treasurer for the sole purpose of helping them to gain access to the account of the church.
“With the assistance of Pastor A.O. Akande, they were able to change the signatory of the account at First Bank Plc. and others to themselves.”
Confirming the interrogation, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Zone XI, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, said the Legal Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department was handling the case.
Ajisebutu said some of those alleged in the petition had given their statements as well as the petitioners, adding that “The Zone is making arrangement to visit Ibadan to take statements from those who could not visit Osogbo, due to old age, in order to enable them to give their statements.”
