By Emmanuel Udom
Seven
pastors in Gowon estate area of Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, south-west Nigeria, are
presently tackling the police over what they described as the unacceptable
manner it is handling investigations into a petition sent to it, August last year.
The pastors
in a petition dated November 18, 2015 and addressed to the Officer-in-charge,
Public Complaints Bureau, Lagos state police command, Ikeja, expressed dissatisfaction with the manner
the police was handling the petition.
Jointly signed by Chaplain Darlington
Ajitemisan of the Open Channel Bible Church, Apostle Emmanuel Arigo of the Jesus
Center Bible Church Reverend Patrick Joshua of Chapel of Possibility Reverend
Asuquo Archibong of God Pentecostal Assembly and Pastor Emmanuel Ejike of
Glorious Liberty Revival Outreach all located within the estate.
They accused one Christopher Ohahelem, the investigating
police officer handling the case of embarking on lecturing them on who owns or doesn’t
not own the land on which their churches were built, instead of calling all
parties concerned as mentioned in the petition for a meeting in order to determine the truth or otherwise of the case.
According to the pastors, Prince Oluwatoyin
Ololade, managing director of Rosellas Amusement Park in Igando, Lagos and officials
of the Federal Housing Authority, Federal Ministry of Housing, Lagos state
taskforce officials and the Lagos state ministry of physical planning illegal demolished
seven of their churches, even as the case was before a competent court in
Lagos.
The
aggrieved pastors are therefore demanding that adequate compensation to the
tune of N1.3billion be paid to them as relief for their loses.
However,
Ololade told our reporter on phone that he is not a party to the demolition,
saying that our reporter can go ahead and write on the matter.
In his
reaction, Joe Offor, Lagos police image maker said that the matter is still
being investigated and the parties concerned should give the police enough time
to do their jobs.
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