...Accuse Imo Police Command of N500,000 bribe 

...Says leader of taskforce admitted they invaded a wrong place, not the place they were detailed to go

The Headquarters of House of Prayer International Covenant Church, HPICC, Umudim-Okporo, in Orlu has accused the Imo State police command of framing their Pastor, Rev. Paulinus Offor and taking him to court on trumped up charges in Owerri, the state capital.

Rev. Offor was among those arraigned at the Magistrate Court 16 Owerri on Thursday, February 18, 2021 and remanded at the Owerri Correctional Facility until the next adjourn date likely this March ending.

Although, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent Orlando Ikokwu, did not react to enquiries from Southeast Post, it was gathered that Offor, the presiding minister of the church was arrested along with nine other members and taken to the State Criminal, Investigation and Information Department, CIID, Owerri,  where five of the detainees were later released after paying N500,000 bribe.

Spokesman of the church, Elder Luke Ejezie told Southeast Post on telephone that

"Friday, March 5, 2021 made it exactly 42 days since a joint security taskforce of the 34 Brigade, Owerri; 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, as well as the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response wrongly invaded the International Headquarters of House of Prayer International Covenant Church, HPICC, Umudim-Okporo, in Orlu Local Government Area, Imo State, South East, Nigeria, abducting no fewer than 10 persons, including the Presiding Minister, Rev. Paulinus Offor."

Ejezie said that, members of the Joint Taskforce comprising soldiers, the police and operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, invaded the church premises when members were in their early morning devotional service and arrested 10 persons, including the Presiding pastor, Rev Offor and accused them of murder.

According to Ejezie, seven of those arrested were later released to either the church or the relations of the victims but this was after they had paid humongous amount of money each.

"On the invitation of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; in the wee hours of Friday, January 22, 2021, the Joint Taskforce stormed Umudim-Okporo and its environs in search of members of the embattled Eastern Security Network, ESN, formed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

"In what has been described as an intelligence error, the task force on the said day had wrongly and forcefully broken into the church presided by Rev. Offor, shooting sporadically, leaving many bullet holes on the church's walls, windows and doors. 

"A fatal error which was hours at into the seige, acknowledged by the leader of the taskforce. 

"The leader of the team ordered the security personnel to leave the church, asking all persons arrested to be released unconditionally as they admitted they visited a different part of Orlu, not where the ESN members were alleged to have camped.

"Hell No! Members of the police in the team took away 10 persons, including the presiding minister Rev. Offor. After series of enquiries by the church's leadership, those arrested were located at the the State CIID, Owerri.

"Among other procedures, the church involved a lawyer, leading to the bail of five persons in the sum of N100,000 each. The five persons were also asked to report to the State CID the following week, where they were again made to part in with the sum of N20,000 each before they could be allowed to go home.

"Despite the taskforce's leader acknowledging they invaded the wrong place on the said day, Rev Offor and two other members of the church are still being incarcerated till date, by the Commissioner of Police, Nasiru Mohammed.

"The Imo State Police Command, charged  Rev. Offor before  the Magistrate Court in Owerri, on trump-up charges of terrorism, murdering policemen and soldiers in Orlu; having ties with the ESN? These are lies from the pit of hell.

"Given that Governor Hope Uzodinma had told the world he sought the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to invite the taskforce to Orlu and its environs, there is an urgent need for the Governor to use his good offices to secure the immediate and unconditional release of Rev. Paulinus Offor and others still illegally incarcerated by CP Nasiru Mohammed.

"There is an urgent need to work towards a Nigeria where charging people for crimes are based on VERIFIED EVIDENCE. Nigeria should be a nation of laws, not lawlessness or impunity.

Rev Paulinus Offor, et al, are innocent of the trump-up charges the State & Police are levelling against them.  Offor a happily married man with children has been tortured by the Police following fictitious allegations.

"Being the presiding minister of HPICC, Okporo, his church's annual Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread holds later this month. Offor has indispensable roles to play towards the success of the religious festival.

"The Imo State government and the police authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Rev. Offor and other innocent church faithfuls being incarcerated illegally.

"Joint security taskforce wrongly invaded House of Prayer International Covenant Church in the wee hours of Friday, January 22, 2021.

The state PPRO, Orlando Ikokwu did not react to Southeast Post enquiries over the story as he did respond to messages sent to his WhatsApp.