Mr Olabode Tijani, an aggrieved and former member of Dominion Chapel Church International, Favour House Branch, Lugbe in Abuja, has sued the church; the Senior Pastor, Eyong Eyong, and others for allegedly inciting his wife, Mrs Abolore Tijani, to divorce him.
Also joined in the suit are President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN); Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and Mrs Doris Eyong as 2nd, 3rd and 5th defendants respectively.
The Dominion Chapel and Pastor Eyong are sued as 1st and 4th defendants in the writ of summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1402/2024 filed by Tijani’s lawyer, Hassan Omolowo, before Justice Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) observes that Tijani, a Civil Engineer and Founder cum President, Registered Trustees of Downtrodden Peoples Empowerment Foundation Worldwide (1st claimant), is the 2nd claimant in the suit dated Sept. 17, 2024 but filed Sept. 18, 2024.
Tijani is praying the court to declare that the church amd its officials at Favour House, New Site Estate, Lugbe Branch in Abuja have no right to interfere in the marital affairs of its members to the extent of separating them and encouraging divorce among them.
He is also praying the court to declare that they have no right to prevent him “from accessing his wife and family within the church premises in full view of the members of the church and bystanders on the 1st day of September, 2024 at about 8am thereby further lacerating his family relationship.
“A declaration that the 1st defendant (Dominion Chapel) and its officials have no rights to have received and quartered the members of family of the 2nd claimant and their property (including the 2nd claimant’s property) for 13 {thirteen} days (at the time of filing this suit).”
He wants the court to declare that the church and its officials had breached his fundamental rights to fair hearing when before hearing his own side of the matter, they proceeded to accommodate his family of six for 13 days, at the time of filing the suit.
He wants the court to declare that the church has violated one of the core qualifications for being a member of CAN.
Tijani, therefore, prayed the court to make an order, compelling the church and its officials to immediately return the family members, family property and his documents to the family domain and quarters at Tudun Wada, Lugbe, Abuja.
He urged the court to make an order restraining the church, Pastor Eyong and his wife including their agents “from further encouraging the divorce, separation of the family of the 2nd claimant, and termination of the marriage of the 2nd claimant and other members of the church and all Christians all over the world.”
He prayed the court to make an order, compelling CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, to sanction the church from engaging in, and pursuing anti-Christian activities within its domain.
He also sought an order compelling CAN president to sanction and prevent Mrs Eyong (pastor’s wife) from holding responsible positions within the church “because of her unchristian utterances and postures.”
He sought an order restraining the church, Pastor Eyong and Mrs Eyong from intimidating, harassing and further interfering in his family affairs.
He equally sought an order compelling the church, Pastor Eyong and Mrs Eyong to issue and publish a public apology to him in two national! dailes.
Tijani, who seeks a special damages In the sum of N1 million, also seeks general damages in sum of N200 million, including “a cost of litigation in the sum of N5 million.”
In his statement of claim, Tijani averred that he had been married to Mrs Abolore for 23 years and had gone through varied challenges and experiences with her.
He said their marriage yielded five children “comprising three daughters including a set of twins and two sons.”
He said they voluntarily joined the church five years in Power House branch before moving to Favour House branch two years later.
He said he had allowed unlimited access to, and regular attendance of church services by members of his family to the extent that all the children are involved in one church work and duty or the other.
According to him, Mrs. Tiant A. Abolore is a member of the women group and contributes to the progress of the church.
Tijani said he “is a member of the 1st defendant (church) and attends the services of the Power House and Favour House branches of the 1st defendant.”
He said on Aug. 31, 2024, he had cause to advise his twin daughters on the need to save the little money they are earning because of the future only for his wife, Mrs Abolore, to intervene and interfere by holding his trouser.
He said on Sept. 1, 2024, he also advised his children to attend the church next door as “GOD is everywhere” but they did not listen.
He said when his wife complained of being indisposed, he gave her money to go and treat herself but instead of going to buy drugs with the money she allegedly decided to go to the Favour House branch of the church.
He said three hours later after his wife did not return, he went to Lugbe branch of the church to look for her.
“Upon getting to the church, the 2nd claimant (Mr Tijani) was told by the security guards that they have been given instructions not to allow him enter the church and thereupon, the elder of the church, the 5th defendant (Mrs Eyong) and other church members came out and denied him access to see his wife who was inside the church.”
Tijani alleged that upon being denied access to his wife, he went to the shop he had personally established for his wife and upon entering the shop, Mrs Eyong allegedly harassed him that it was a criminal act for him to enter the shop without his wife’s knowledge.
He alleged that the pastor’s wife proceeded to tell the security personnel to chase him out anytime they see him within the church premises and further proceeded to padlock the shop he set up for his wife.
He said Mrs Eyong allegedly proceeded to threaten him about directing his wife to serve him with divorce letter and also to go to the NAPTIP to lodge complaint against him.
Tijani said he responded that since Mrs Eyong was not the one who joined them together in marriage, he would rather take his wife back to Ibadan, the home town, if he wanted to divorce her, and not in Abuja.
He said he believes that the Bible does not support divorce except in cases of sexual immorality and adultery.
He alleged that the senior pastor and his wife were instrumental in the conveyance of his family property to the church and that his family members “have been in the church’s children’s class for 13 (thirteen) days now.”
He said since his family moved out of his house, he had “been feeding irregularly and dysfunctionally at ‘Mama Put’ roadside restaurants with the health hazards involved.”
Besides, Tijani said he has to personally clean his house and wash clothes and other valuables by himself.
“The claimants state that the 2nd claimant has not had physical access to his wife for 13 (thirteen) days now.
“The 2nd claimant was deprived of the opportunity of sending his children back to school when they resumed on the 2nd day of September, 2024 by the 1st, 4th and 5th defendants,” he said.
He alleged that the senior pastor and his wife had caused to administer to his wife drugs unknown to him, and without his knowledge and without his permission.
According to him, he had undergone a most excruciating and debilitating embarrassment of his life when he was publicly deprived of access to his wife and the security personnel were instructed not to allow him to enter the church premises.
When the matter came up before Justice Olotu, Omolowo, who appeared for Tijani, informed the court of their intention to amend the suit.
Lawyer to the church and the pastor, A.O. Igeh, did not oppose the application and Justice Olotu adjourned the matter until May 29 for hearing.(NAN)