6 church members arrested during service for disturbing the peace

Six members of a church have been arrested for allegedly disturbing the peace of residents in Ogba, Lagos during a church service on January 14.

The members – Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi (44), Clement Eromosele (26), Chukwudi Akwegbu (26), Chibuzor Chukwu (18), Godspower Enudi (21) and Okorie Livonus (36) – were accused of converting a residential apartment to a church.

Having warned them severally, apparently, the landlord and residents of the building had had enough of the disturbance and ruckus the congregation caused whenever they gathered and prayed.

The defendants were brought before a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. T. Akanni, on two counts of engaging in a conduct capable of causing a breach of the peace.

The offence, according to a police prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, is punishable under sections 410 and 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

The charges read, “That you, Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi, Clement Eromosele, Chukwudi Akwegbu, Chibuzor Chukwu, Godspower Enudi and Okorie Livonus, and others still at large on Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, Lagos, on January 14, 2016, at about 8am in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit: conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.

“That you and others still at large on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did unlawfully convert the residential apartment of the aforementioned house to a church and disturb peace of the landlord and other tenants as you were praying on top of your voice, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.

The presiding magistrate, Akanni, admitted them to bail in the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties each in like sum. The magistrate added that the sureties must provide evidence of tax payments and their residential addresses to the court for the perfection of the defendants’ bail.

The case was adjourned till February 15, 2016, for mention.

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