A pastor has been arrested in connection with the death of a female worshipper in the church premises.
Prophet Dominic Michael, who heads the Celestial Church of Christ, Jesusegun parish, Santana bus stop in Ajangbadi, was arrested alongside the deceased’s lover, Ifeanyi Eyinna, who took her to the church for healing.
The deceased, 25-year-old Ramat Audu, lived with Ifeanyi at Iya Lekan Street in Shibiri area of Lagos. She took ill on Thursday and was taken to the church by Ifeanyi.
In church, Prophet Michael prayed for the sick woman then gave her some concoction to ingest. After taking the potion, she reportedly slumped in front of the church.
Ifeanyi said during interrogation:
I loved my girlfriend and we have been living together with the intention of getting married. She suddenly fell sick at night. She was coughing seriously.
I suggested taking her to the hospital but she declined. She rather told me to take her to her church at Shibiri, that she knew what was wrong with her. I chartered a taxi to the church where we met the pastor.
After taking the concoction, the cough became serious and she slumped in front of the church. I had to contact her family members.
Both men were paraded by the police on Monday for alleged conspiracy and murder.
Speaking to newsmen, Ifeanyi said his girlfriend died on Friday, one day after he took her to the prophet to heal her.
On Friday, on my way to the market, the younger brother of the prophet called and told me that my girlfriend was not feeling fine.
I met her in a very bad condition and I asked the prophet what the problem was. He told me that I needed to pay N1,500 for a spiritual work and she would also need to be on a drip. The prophet’s wife is a nurse and she told me that the cost of administering the drip would be N5,000.
Before I knew it, she had defecated on herself. I took her to the bathroom to clean her up. On the way back from the bathroom, she fell and died.
The prophet initially denied giving the deceased any concoction but later admitted after Ifeanyi insisted he did.
Prophet Michael said:
I only gave her a mixture of lime and honey, because she was coughing and then asked her to go home. Moments later, I heard people screaming outside the church. By the time I rushed out, I met her on the ground.
The concoction has been taken for forensic analysis.
The Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, said the command received a complaint from the deceased’s brother, Ibrahim Audu, on May 19, 2018.
Imohimi said:
Following the development, detectives moved to the scene where the prophet and the deceased’s boyfriend were arrested. Recovered at the church were native sponges, some bottles of perfumes, candlesticks, and the concoction which was administered to the victim.
The suspects have been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, where evidence will be collated and properly analysed. The suspects will be charged to court for murder.
The corpse has been deposited in a mortuary for an autopsy, while a sample of the concoction has been sent to a laboratory for analysis.
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