Lagos State Government Arraigns Clergyman, Others For Violating Lockdown Order

The Lagos State Government today Wednesday April 22, arraigned the General Overseer of Resurrection Praise Ministries for Africa, Bishop Samson Benjamin aka Jehovah Sharp Sharp, before an Igbosere Magistrate court for violating the presidential lockdown order.

Bishop Benjamin was on Tuesday April 21, arrested in front of the Chinese Embassy in Lagos where he allegedly led a number of people to protest the ''maltreatment'' of Nigerians in China. The clergyman was arraigned alongside one Jerry Abel and Samson Mustapha, on a three-count charge of violating the stay-at-home order and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Officials of the Chinese Embassy sent a video clip of the alleged invasion to the police, which prompted the arrest of the defendants by officers of the Victoria Island Division of the Nigeria Police. They were thereafter moved to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Panti, Yaba Lagos.

During their arraignment this morning, Dr Jide Martins, a Director in the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution, told the court that the defendants had on April 21, led a protest to the Chinese Embassy located at No. 161A, Idejo St., Victoria Island Lagos. Martins said the defendants’ actions contravened the COVID-19 Regulation and is punishable under Section 5 Quarantine Act and Section 122 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.

“The defendants conduct was also likely to cause breach of the peace which violates Section 168 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015,” he said.

The presiding magistrate, Yewande Oshin, thereafter granted Abel and Mustapha bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum, while the clergyman was granted N1 million bail with two sureties in like sum.

She ordered that one of the sureties must be a cleric of a church with minimum of three branches. All the sureties are also ordered to produce evidence of three years tax payable to Lagos State government, evidence of means of livelihood and they must be residents of the State.

They are all to be remanded in police custody pending when they perfect their bail terms.