CAC Pastor Re-Arraigned Over Alleged Impersonation, Forgery

Over accusations of impersonation, forgery, and defamation, a pastor with the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Moses Ayantoye, was re-arraigned before an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on Wednesday.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ayantoye was first charged with 23 counts on February 8, 2022, some of which had to do with impersonation and forgery.

Naija News reports that the prosecutor Michael Lana, stated during the hearing on Wednesday that the case was scheduled for the reading of the defendant’s 31-count revised charges.

Lana said that the defendant wrote a letter to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 11, Osogbo, using a fake letterhead that belonged to the CAC.

According to Lana, in order to fraudulently accuse pastors, the church’s solicitor, and officers of the Corporate Affairs Commission of crimes, false assertions were made in the letter.

The prosecution alleged that the defendant obtained church records without authorization and sent a letter to the Legal Practitioners and Privileges Committee with the intention of defrauding.

Lana claims that the defendant deceived the Chairman of the Legal Practitioners and Privileges Committee in order to deny admission to a candidate for the Senior Advocate of Nigeria title.

The prosecutor also claimed that on October 18, 2021, the defendant published a defamatory article in the national dailies against the President and other Trustees of Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria.

He argued that the offences contravened Sections 117, 125A, 373, 375, 484, 473, 463, and 465 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The defence counsel, Mr Anthony Daramola, urged the court to allow his client to continue with the previous bail of N2 million with two sureties in like sum.

Daramola, arguing that his client had never violated any of the bail conditions, said the two sureties were in court and ready to continue as his sureties.