'Conspiracy charges' Ondo court jails pastor for perjury

The Ondo State High Court, Akure Division, on Thursday sentenced a pastor, John Abiodun, to two years in prison for telling lies and publishing false allegation.

The case emerged from a bitter clash among members of Promised Land Prophetic Ministry, Akure.

Some members, led by Mr Abiodun, in 2019, had a conflict with the founder of the church and alleged that the latter had buried seven placentas under the altar of the church located at Shasha.

He was arrested in 2019 after police dug open the altar of the church and did not find any placenta.

He was accused of lying against the founder of the church, Gbenga Akinbiyi, and was arraigned along with another member, Lanre Olu-Adeyemi.

The prosecution held that Mr Abiodun, a former member of the church, had sworn an affidavit before the Commissioner for Oaths, on the matter.

Messrs Abiodun and Olu-Adeyemi were arraigned on an eight-count charge of conspiracy, publications of false information, perjury, impersonation, threatening violence amongst others.

The second defendant, Olu-Adeyemi, a professor at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, was the admin of the WhatsApp group on which the false publication and accusations were circulated.

During the series of court proceedings on the matter, various witnesses were called by the court on the sides of both prosecutors and defendants.