Pastor Chris Okafor submits self at SCID

Okafor

After failing to honour the police invitation on Monday, embattled founder of Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries, Pastor Chris Okafor, on Tuesday, reported at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, for questioning.

Okafor, it was gathered, arrived at the department on Tuesday afternoon after some highly placed persons cautioned him about disobeying a lawful invitation.

His defiance, it was learnt, was not unconnected to the ongoing investigation of the case between himself and estranged lover, actress Doris Ogalla, at the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 2 Command in Onikan.

Sources told The Nation that the preacher accused by multiple women of sexual impropriety, abuse of authority, and alleged murder, felt that since a case was already initiated by him at the zonal command where Ogalla was alleged to have been detained earlier, he could ignore subsequent invitations from other police units.

“But some highly placed persons read the news that he shunned the police invitation and warned him about the implications. That’s why he presented himself at the SCID in Yaba for questioning.“His statement was taken, but he was not detained since there is no complainant yet. We have made attempts to reach out to the victims, even offered them protection and transportation to and from, but no one showed up.

“Since there is already an investigation ongoing at Zone 2, where there is a suspect and a complainant, the Lagos Police Command will stand down to allow Zone 2 conclude their investigation.

“However, our offer to victims to come forward remains open. We are not dismissing the case, we are just standing down,” said a senior officer who pleaded anonymity.

Spokesperson for the police command, SP Abimbola Adebisi confirmed the pastor was at the SCID on Tuesday afternoon but did not give further details.

Okafor was invited by the Lagos State Police Command in a letter dated January 3, which directed he should submit himself for interrogation on or before 10 am on Monday, a directive he rebuffed.