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A former pianist with Household of God, Mr. Dafiaghor Okiotor, was again in the Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, presided by Magistrate Oshodi Makanjuola, on Tuesday for breach of peace and disorderly conduct.
It was said Okiotor, 40, on July 15, picketed the church owned by popular man of God, Rev. Chris Okotie, over an alleged N39m Okotie owed him.
The sum was supposed to be Okiotor’s entitlement for working in the church for 14 years.
Okiotor, who is Okotie’s kinsman as they are both of Urhobo ethnicity, had been remanded in prison for about three weeks.
At the start of Tuesday’s hearing, counsels to the complainant (Okotie) requested that journalists should be sent out from the court.
However, the defendant’s lawyer, Mr. Robert Igbinedion, argued that the court was a public place and that court proceedings should be public knowledge.
Makanjuola declined Okotie’s lawyers request.
Two witnesses, Adeolu Omotayo and Harold Turay, who were members and guards of the church, testified against Okiotor.
Omotayo said Okiotor had sent two letters threatening to disrupt the church.
He said, “He made good of his threats on that Sunday as he suddenly appeared and became disorderly and raucous at the church entrance. He sang songs in his native language. The reverend had to stop sermonising, and the service was stopped. We called the policemen at Area ‘F’, and they arrested him.
“But on the evening of that same day, Okiotor came back to the church. He was arrested again and later charged to court.”
Turay, said, “When Okiotor protested at the church, he wore a white T-shirt. Inscribed on it was, ‘Rev. Okotie, you either pay me, or kill me. He was so disorderly and noisy that he disrupted the service.”
During a cross examination by Igbinedion, Omotayo said Okiotor was a volunteer at the church and was not entitled to remuneration.
Makanjuola adjourned the case till April 26, 2013.
