Police officers attached to the office of the Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Osogbo, Osun State have begun interrogating eight top pastors of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) over a leadership battle in the church’s Supreme Council.
The pastors are being questioned on allegations of conspiracy, stealing, impersonation and swearing to a false oath, among others, The Nation reports on Thursday.
Some members of the church were said to have made the petition against the eight pastors leading a faction in the crisis.
The pastors were accused of “illegally presenting themselves as the leaders of the Supreme Council otherwise known as The Constituted Authority under the guise to misrepresent, mislead and deceive members of the church and (the) public at large.”
Former General Superintendent and General Secretary, Pastors J. A. Adeoloye and J. O. Oguntile respectively, were accused of retiring and planting their stooges in their positions to, among other things, siphon church funds.
They also accused the retired pastors of compulsorily retiring 30 other pastors along with themselves on July 1, 2018, a decision the petition said was against the constitution of the church.
The petitioners say seven other pastors conspired with the retired General Superintendent to appoint themselves as President, General Superintendent, General Evangelist, General Secretary, General Treasurer, Legal Adviser, and Publicity Secretary.
The seven pastors were said to have claimed on January 1, 2019 that they were appointed by the retired General Superintendent and General Secretary in November, 2018 whereas the duo retired on July 1, 2018.
“The above-listed persons and self-acclaimed leaders of Christ Apostolic Church are operating as an illegal body with no certificate of incorporation. The original and the only recognized certificate of the Christ Apostolic Church Nigeria (dated the 4th May of 1943 which was amended on the 16th day of December 1985 with Registration number 147) is in the custody and under the control of the authentic leaders of the church led by Pastor S. O. Ogundare,” the petition read.
The newspaper said the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Adekunle Ajisebutu, confirmed that the legal unit of the Criminal Investigation Department was handling the case.
