Convicted Rev. King’s family, church allege plans to prejudice appeal

THE family of convicted clergyman, Rev. Emeka Ezeugo, (a.k.a) Rev. King, the general overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA) and the church yesterday alleged that there are deliberate plans to prejudice the appeal filed in the court to overturn his death sentence.

The family and the church, who spoke through their counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, at a news conference in Lagos, said any time the appeal filed by Rev. King against his conviction is about to come up in court, it is always preceded by a negative publication in newspapers.

Ojo claimed that a publication in the March 14, 2012, edition of a Lagos-based evening newspaper where seven devotees of the CPA were alleged to have abused the General Overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Pastor T.B. Joshua and some other men of God, was an attempt to further fuel the flame of animosity against him.

“His appeal would be heard on April 4, 2012. You can now appreciate the proximity of the publication to the date of appeal.

“As far as the family and the church are concerned, the publication was sponsored by enemies of the church. Their main agenda is to ensure that everything negative and condemnable is published about him and the motive is to prejudice his right of fair hearing at the appeal. Those who abused Pastor T.B. Joshua and other men of God are not members of the CPA as reported in the publication”, Ojo said.

He added that the family and the church have nothing to do with the seven suspects who are now standing trial at a Lagos Magistrate’s Court, Ejigbo, for insulting Pastor T.B. Joshua and other men of God.

Other heads of churches who the accused persons were alleged to have said are not men of God, abused and called unprintable names are the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye and the General Overseer of Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo.

The suspects, Nwachukwu Ngoma, Obuwase Wisdom, Ngozi Ikechukwu, Eze Chinyere, Peace Chinedu, Peter Emordi and Chinyere Nwoke, were alleged to have gone to the Ejigbo residence of Pastor T.B. Joshua, abused him and called him and some other men of God unprintable names.

Ojo also reiterated that the accused persons are not members of the CPA as they have gone through the register of members in the church and could not find their names there.

“When the attention of the family and the church was drawn to the publication, the church, being a highly organised body, went into its register of membership and discovered that they are not members of CPA.

“Every member of CPA has an identity card and there is a register of members. So, it is not possible for anybody to say he is a member without having his or her name in the register and an identity card”, he said.

Ojo stressed that the family and the church found the report published by the Lagos evening newspaper in respect of the matter very embarrassing, saying the church has never endorsed and “will never endorse any attempt to cast aspersions on any man of God”.

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