- Husband threatens legal action over ‘false, malicious and fabricated stories’
There is no going back on the divorce process instituted against Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy by his wife, Anita, her lawyers have said on her behalf.
This comes as the embattled husband threatens to sue journalists who publish “false, malicious and fabricated stories” about him and his church.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Mrs Oyakhilome’s lawyers, Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors, declared “It is with great sadness that our client, Pastor Anita Oyakhilome, has come to the conclusion that her marriage to Pastor Christian Oyakhilome has irretrievably broken down and regrettably there is no hope of any reconciliation.”
The statement is credited to Stephen Goddard, Business Development Manager of Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors.
From early this year, there had been speculation that the marriage between Mr Oyakhilome, the founder of Believers Love World (aka Christ Embassy), and his wife, who is also Vice-president of the ministry, was collapsing.
Some church members even set up a Facebook page, “Where is Rev Anita Oyakhilome”, in May dedicated to addressing the issue.
The church initially denied reports that the couple were estranged and possibly divorcing.
But TheCable news website reported on August 29 that Mrs. Oyakhilome had filed for divorce since April 9, accusing Pastor Chris, as he is fondly called by his followers, of “adultery” and “unreasonable behaviour”.
Oyakhilome has also spoken through his lawyer, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), calling the accusations of adultery a “false and malicious” attack against him and the church.
“The attention of our client, Rev. Chris Oyakhilome, and the church has been drawn to the wave of false, malicious and fabricated stories being published in the print and electronic media about his person, the church and a matrimonial cause between him and his wife,” his attorney stated.
Describing media coverage of his wife’s efforts to divorce him as “complete distortion of the facts in the pending proceedings in the United Kingdom”, the statement cited the coverage as “selfishly motivated” for political and financial advantage.
“Be warned therefore that unless the concerned media houses desist from further publishing words and stories which are false and damaging of our client’s reputation and the church, we shall, without further recourse to the concerned publishers, promptly embark on appropriate legal machinery with a view to protecting our client’s reputation and that of the church,” Pinheiro said.
