*Court documents attached
A senior bank manager in one of the new generation banks has been detained over church dispute by the police Special Investigation Unit, SIU despite getting reprieve from a court to be granted bail.
TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports based on court documents sighted granting the accused Dr Chenenye Duru bail as the police conduct investigation into allegations leveled against him.
The banker was arrested reportedly in connection with alleged uncomfortable ethical behaviours by some leaders of the church and for being vociferous, Duru was accosted by the police.
The Living Christ Mission church, headed by Most Rev. Prof. Victor Onukogu, also known as Daddy Hezekiah, allegedly declared war with some of its former faithful, who rose recently against him over alleged misconduct.
One of the leaders of the agitation group within the church, who was singled out for rough treatment for his role in the agitation, is a banker, Dr Duru.
The banker is still in the custody of the Special Investigations Unit [SIU] section of the police in Abuja, having been accused by Daddy Hezekiah of alleged fraud.
Until the spiritual leader and his young follower parted ways late last year, Dr. Duru was the accounts officer of the church in the South East.
The matter was subsequently taken to a magistrate court, in Masaka, Nasarawa, where the magistrate court admitted Duru to bail on December 21 2023.
Unfortunately, the banker is yet to be released, till date. Dr. Duru’s lawyers also obtained an order from the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice D.O.Okorowo, for him to be released, pending the determination of the original summons.
Still, the police is keeping the banker in its SIU unit in Abuja and has not yet released him.While ruling on 5th January in a case filed by the Applicant’s counsel, Chukwuemeka Uduma Kanu Esq., Justice Okorowo of the Federal High Court ordered Mr. Chinenye Duru who has been in custody since early December 2023 to be released, pending the determination of the originating Summons.Dr. Duru spent his Christmas and new year festivities in police custody, in spite of the fact that the courts had ordered for him to be released. One of his friends, who, said that he left the Living Christ Mission Church in protest about the same time with the banker, said that keeping Duru in custody through the yuletide season and the new year, were intended to punish him for daring to question some things in the church. He also alleged that the followers of Daddy Hezekiah have been demonizing Dr. Duru all over the internet, with a view to damage his reputation. He alleged that there is even pressure on Polaris Bank to relieve Duru of his job,at the same time as everything is being done to prevent him from being set free. Duru’s friend wondered whether membership of a religious group is now a prison sentence from which a member cannot walk away, if he no longer feels comfortable?Meanwhile, the legal counsel to Dr. Duru, Smart Udengwu has returned to the court to file further motions, to compel the police to release the banker, while whatever the case against him goes on.
See documents below:
