A bickering inside a religious group, reportedly connected with alleged uncomfortable ethical behaviours by some leaders of the church, is causing disquiet among the faithful.
The Living Christ Mission church, headed by Most Rev. Prof. Victor Onukogu, also known as Daddy Hezekiah, has reportedly declared war against some of its former faithful, who rose recently, against what was said to be their discomfort at some moral conduct.
One of the leaders of the agitation group within the church, who was singled out for rough treatment for his role in the agitation, is a banker, Dr. Chinenye Hezekiah Duru.
The banker is in the custody of the Special Investigations Unit [SIU] section of the police in Abuja, having been accused by Daddy Hezekiah of defrauding him.
Until the spiritual leader and his young follower parted ways late last year, Dr. Duru, who is a manager with Polaris Bank in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, was the accounts officer and financial adviser of Daddy Hezekiah.
Following his reported joining of forces with some others to question the church leadership, the spiritual leader reportedly called in the police and alleged that the banker defrauded him.
The matter was subsequently taken to a magistrate court, in Masaka, Nasarawa, where the magistrate court admitted Duru to bail on December 21 2023.
Unfortunately, the banker has yet to get his freedom till date.
Dr. Duru’s lawyers also obtained an order from the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice D.O.Okorowo, for him to be released, pending the determination of the originating summons.
Still, the police are keeping the banker in its SIU unit in Abuja and have yet to release him.
While ruling on 5th January in a case filed by the Applicant’s counsel, Chukwuemeka Uduma Kanu Esq., Justice Okorowo of the Federal High Court ordered Mr. Chinenye Duru, who has been in custody since early December 2023, to be released, pending the determination of the originating Summons.
Dr. Duru spent his Christmas and New Year periods in police custody, in spite of the fact that the courts had ordered for him to be released.
One of his friends, who, said that he left the Living Christ Mission Church in protest about the same time with the banker, said that keeping Duru in custody through the yuletide season and the New Year, was intended to punish him for daring to question some things in the church.
He also alleged that the followers of Daddy Hezekiah have been demonizing Dr. Duru all over the internet, with a view to damaging his reputation.
He alleged that there was even pressure on Polaris Bank to relieve Duru of his job, at the same time as everything was being done to prevent him from being set free.
Duru’s friend wondered whether membership of a religious group was now a prison sentence from which a member could not walk away, if he no longer felt comfortable?
Meanwhile, the legal counsel to Dr. Duru, Smart Udengwu has returned to the court to file further motions, to compel the police to release the banker, while whatever the case against him goes on.
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