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Court Fines Three Pastors For Defying Lockdown Order

Zainab Sanni
Three pastors of new generation churches in the Federal Capital Territory have been fined N5,000 each in addition to three hours community service for defying the federal government lockdown directive.
The pastors who were arraigned before the mobile court presided by Magistrate Idayat Akonn had reportedly denied their members in order to evade arrest by the Ministerial Enforcement Team.
The pastors are Ibitoye Kayode of the Liberty Faith Gospel Church, Joshua Olaniru of Liberty Gate Ministry and Vitalis Udeazi of Dominion Chapel, all in Lugbe a satellite town along the airport road.
The FCT enforcement team had stormed the mountain top in Sabon-Lugbe after a tip-off and arrested the three pastors for violating the ban on congregational worship in the nation’s capital.
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One of the pastors, Udeazi mingled with the crowd and attempted to conceal his identity but after a brief interrowgation, he was identified.
He also said none of his members was present at the time the taskforce arrived the mountain top. This did not go down well with other pastors who protested vehemently that he was one of them.
Olaniru was also exposed by a resident of the community who tendered a video clip to the taskforce where the cleric was holding a worship session.
Speaking to the pastors, the Chairman of the taskforce, Ikharo Attah, queried the pastors for denying their members.
“Why are you all denying these large groups of worshippers? No one among you agreed that anyone came to worship with them even when they turned out in large numbers. One of you even went ahead to deny being a pastor,” he said.
