Members Of Church Arrested In Ogba For Causing Noise Pollution

The police in Lagos have arrested six persons for allegedly
disturbing the peace of residents of Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, during a church
service.

The members – Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi (44), Clement Eromosele
(26), Chukwudi Akwegbu (26), Chibuzor Chukwu (18), Godspower Enudi (21) and
Okorie Livonus (36) – were arraigned in a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in
Ogba. 

They were accused of converting a residential apartment to a church.

Punch Metro learnt that the landlord and residents of the
building where the defendants gathered to worship had complained that the
congregation caused noise pollution whenever they prayed.

They were said to have cautioned the worshippers to lower
their voices, but the members reportedly declined.

A Punch correspondent gathered that the church was reported
to the police at the Pen Cinema division, who arrested the six members on
January 14 during Sunday service, while the others were said to be at large.

They were brought before a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. T. Akanni,
on two counts of engaging in a conduct capable of causing a breach of the
peace.

The offence, according to a police prosecutor, Inspector
Clifford Ogu, is punishable under sections 410 and 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal
Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

The charges read, “That you, Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi, Clement
Eromosele, Chukwudi Akwegbu, Chibuzor Chukwu, Godspower Enudi and Okorie
Livonus, and others still at large on Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, Lagos, on
January 14, 2016, at about 8am in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire
to commit felony to wit: conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.

“That you and others still at large on the same date, time
and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did unlawfully convert
the residential apartment of the aforementioned house to a church and disturb
peace of the landlord and other tenants as you were praying on top of your
voice, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 166 (1) (d) of
the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and
elected summary trial.

The presiding magistrate, Akanni, admitted them to bail in
the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties each in like sum. The magistrate
added that the sureties must provide evidence of tax payments and their
residential addresses to the court for the perfection of the defendants’ bail.

The case was adjourned till February 15, 2016, for mention.