Pastor accused of forgery faces trial in N1.2bn estate dispute - Newstrends
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Pastor accused of forgery faces trial in N1.2bn estate dispute

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Federal High Court in Abuja
Federal High Court in Abuja

Pastor accused of forgery faces trial in N1.2bn estate dispute

A prolonged family dispute concerning the extensive estate of the late Chief Harrison Jefia has intensified, resulting in a criminal trial.

Joseph Jefia, the ninth child of the deceased and a cleric, is currently facing allegations of forgery and fraudulent claims to inheritance.

He is appearing before a Federal High Court in Abuja to address these charges.

The case with next hearing date fixed for October 23, is under charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/501/2024, where the Federal Government is the complainant and Joseph Jefia is the defendant.

Mrs. Onoriode Lyn James (née Jefia), the United Kingdom-based eldest child of the late Chief Jefia, had petitioned the Pastor-in-Charge of Region 23 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, where her half-brother, Joseph Jefia pastors a church, accusing him of illegally taking control of the family’s assets shortly after their father died in 2003.

These assets include more than 100 housing units, a mansion in Effurun, multiple country homes, large tracts of land, cash in various banks, and a road contract valued at N1.2 billion.

According to Mrs. James, Pastor Jefia and his siblings allegedly broke into their late father’s residence while the patriarch was on his deathbed, taking possession of all personal and business documents.

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Investigations by law enforcement and forensic experts revealed that the document was fraudulent and unregistered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), in violation of the Companies and Allied Matters Act.

The police subsequently charged Pastor Jefia for presenting the forged document in defense of his actions during a dispute involving his half-sister, whom he allegedly harassed during a visit to the family property in Effurun.

Court records show that the family had already shared the landed properties of the late Chief Jefia based on traditional arrangements and legal proceedings.

Despite this, Pastor Joseph is accused of continuing to collect rent from properties not allocated to him and allegedly selling plots of land belonging to other heirs.

The matter, which has spanned more than 22 years, has now reached a turning point with criminal charges brought against the pastor. The trial continues this month, with court dates scheduled for October 23.

Mrs. James has called on the leadership of RCCG, where Pastor Jefia is said to have served in various regions including Kolokolo/Enerhen and PTI, to intervene and uphold the church’s moral standards.

“Our father left enough for every one of his children to prosper. But Joseph’s greed, enabled by forged documents and disregard for family and tradition, has robbed us of justice for over two decades,” she said.

 

Pastor accused of forgery faces trial in N1.2bn estate dispute

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Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism

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Osun 2026: APC Inaugurates 292-Member Campaign Council, Declares Victory a Must
Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism

The Kaduna State chapter of the APC has appealed for calm after reporting alleged attacks, vandalism and intimidation involving its members and party-related facilities.

The party wants the police and other security agencies to determine what happened and identify those responsible for any offences established by the evidence.

APC Publicity Secretary Sani Dan Azare said vehicles were allegedly damaged during an incident at party premises, while some members and supporters were reportedly assaulted or intimidated elsewhere in the state.

Rather than draw conclusions from the competing claims, the party asked security agencies to examine all credible leads and evidence before taking action.

The appeal comes as political activities intensify in Kaduna ahead of the 2027 elections. The state has already recorded a separate dispute involving ADC supporters and security operatives during a campaign-related walk, with the parties giving different accounts of the confrontation.

The APC said such incidents should not undermine what it described as progress made in reducing political, ethnic and religious tensions in the state.

It therefore urged political parties, candidates and supporters to conduct their activities peacefully and within the law.

Dan Azare also asked APC members and support groups to avoid retaliation, warning against any form of self-help.

Let the facts be established. Let due process prevail. Let the law take its course” the party said.

The APC added that anyone with relevant information should make it available to security agencies to help establish what happened and determine whether anyone should face legal action.

 

Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism

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Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down

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Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down

As Olalekan Oyeyemi is buried in Osogbo, authorities transfer murder probe to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

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Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

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Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Residents and businesses in several parts of Lagos are enduring prolonged power outages, with Ikeja Electric attributing the disruption to significant constraints on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) network.

The development has triggered frustration among electricity consumers who say the prolonged blackout is disrupting household activities and commercial operations, while increasing their dependence on generators and other alternative sources of power.

Ikeja Electric, one of Nigeria’s largest electricity distribution companies, said the situation was caused by a reduction in the amount of electricity available to it from the transmission network.

According to the company, the transmission constraints have affected the volume of power it can distribute to customers across parts of its franchise area, resulting in extended periods of load-shedding.

The company said it was engaging with TCN over the situation and was working to improve supply to affected communities as soon as additional transmission capacity becomes available.

The latest disruption has affected customers in several parts of Lagos, with residents in areas including Akoka, Egbeda, Ojodu Berger, Ogudu and Shomolu reporting prolonged interruptions.

Some residents said electricity supply had been unavailable for several consecutive days, while others reported intermittent restoration followed by further outages.

The disruption has also affected small businesses and households that rely heavily on electricity for daily activities.

Business operators such as barbers, hairdressers, food vendors, cold-room operators, charging-centre owners, internet-dependent businesses and other small enterprises have been particularly affected by the unreliable supply.

For many households, prolonged outages have also affected refrigeration, water pumping, phone charging, internet access and other basic activities that depend on electricity.

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The situation has forced some residents and businesses to increase their use of generators, adding to operating costs at a time when fuel and other energy expenses remain high.

Some consumers have also resorted to commercial charging centres and other paid alternatives to keep phones, rechargeable devices and business equipment operational.

The latest disruption comes amid continuing challenges across Nigeria’s electricity value chain, where problems involving generation, gas supply, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks can affect electricity availability to consumers.

TCN operates the country’s transmission network, while electricity distribution companies such as Ikeja Electric are responsible for delivering available power to customers through their distribution networks.

This distinction is significant in the latest Lagos outage because Ikeja Electric has attributed the immediate supply shortfall to constraints on the transmission network, rather than announcing a fault affecting its entire distribution system.

Power interruptions in Lagos, however, have previously resulted from different causes.

Parts of the state have experienced outages linked to distribution equipment faults, infrastructure damage, planned maintenance and other incidents affecting electricity infrastructure.

Earlier disruptions in Lagos have also been associated with incidents such as tanker fires damaging electricity infrastructure, while transmission maintenance and constraints have caused supply reductions in other instances.

The varying causes mean that the duration and geographical spread of an outage can differ significantly from one community or electricity feeder to another.

Ikeja Electric has apologised to affected customers over the latest disruption and said it understands the difficulties caused by the reduced supply.

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The company said it was monitoring developments and engaging relevant stakeholders in an effort to restore improved electricity supply.

The latest development has again highlighted concerns over the vulnerability of Lagos residents and businesses to fluctuations in electricity supply.

For many small businesses, prolonged blackouts mean additional spending on diesel or petrol-powered generators, while households face similar costs when alternative electricity sources are required.

The disruption also comes at a time when businesses are already dealing with high operating costs, making extended reliance on generators an additional financial burden.

Consumers have increasingly called for more reliable electricity supply and better coordination among the different operators in Nigeria’s power sector.

The TCN, generation companies and distribution companies form interconnected parts of the electricity supply chain, meaning a constraint at one stage can quickly affect consumers downstream.

For Ikeja Electric customers, the immediate expectation is that transmission constraints will ease and supply will gradually improve across the affected feeders.

Until then, residents and businesses in the affected areas may continue to experience irregular electricity supply depending on available transmission capacity and the operational condition of individual distribution feeders.

The latest outage has therefore renewed the debate over Nigeria’s long-standing electricity challenges and the need for sustained investment in power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure to provide more stable electricity for homes and businesses.

For Lagos, where thousands of businesses depend on electricity for daily operations, prolonged outages carry consequences beyond inconvenience, affecting productivity, household welfare and the cost of doing business.

Ikeja Electric said it would continue to provide updates as the situation develops and work with TCN to improve supply to affected customers.

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

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