An Abuja High Court on Thursday ordered the remand of cleric Amos Isah over allegations of defilement pending verification of his earlier bail documents.
Justice Modupe Osho Adebiyi directed that the founder and general overseer of Prophetic Voice of Fire Ministry International be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Kuje, Abuja, until the court receives proper documentation relating to his previous bail.
The prosecution alleged that Isah lured a 14 year old girl into his office located within the church premises and defiled her. According to the prosecution, the alleged offences violate Sections 3, 4, and 14 of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act.
The cleric pleaded not guilty to eight counts bordering on defilement when the matter came up before the court. His counsel, O.U. Sule SAN, informed the court that his client had earlier been granted bail by another high court. However, Justice Osho Adebiyi stated that records of the bail and details of the sureties were not before the court.
The judge questioned who the defendant would be released to without proper documentation and insisted that the court could not act without verifying the bail records. Sule requested that the defendant be released on self recognition and later made an oral application for bail, but the prosecution opposed the request.
The prosecution counsel, Aderonke Imana, informed the court that she was engaged in another matter and objected to the oral application. Justice Osho Adebiyi further noted that the sureties were absent from court and that their documents had not been presented.
The court subsequently ordered the remand of the defendant at the Kuje correctional centre pending determination of his bail status. The defence counsel was instructed to notify the court registrar once all necessary documents are ready.
The matter was adjourned until June 30 for the commencement of trial.
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