MICHAEL AKINOLA
The 26-year old man, Solomon Akpannu, who allegedly used a cutlass to inflict injuries on a Prophet at the Lord’s Chosen Church, Anayochukwu Reuben, will be charged for attempted murder before the Lagos State High Court.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the decision of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP ), which found him culpable and recommended his trial for the alleged offence under the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.
Prophet Reuben has been hospitalized and confined to a wheelchair after he was brutally attacked and sustained serious injuries from Akpannu’s attack with a cutlass after he claimed that the Prophet gave him false prophecy.
The incident happened at the Church’s headquarters in Ijesha area of Lagos, where Prophet Reuben was said to be one of the Lord’s Chosen Church Prophets.
At the moment, Prophet Reuben cannot work or walk and can only move with the wheelchair due to the injury he sustained during the attack. He was said to have a shop at the premises of the church and said to as well have the gift of vision, which he combines with his shoe business at the church.
He met Akpannu, who is a member of Ebuka Obi Zion Church and gave him the first prophecy on why he business was not successful, asked him to buy coconut and dry gin with which to pray and use it to bath, which he did and his business seemed to improve and he informed Prophet Reuben.
However, trouble started after Prophet Reuben gave him another prophecy and told Akpannu that his sister will die unless he performs certain prayers, which the prophet, Reuben, will conduct by himself that will involve certain amount of money.
This angered Akpannu, who then went to market, bought a cutlass and torchlight, then went to Prophet Reuben’s shop inside the church premises and inflicted injury on both his leg and hand before he escaped.
The matter was reported to the Police, who trailed Akpannu, arrested and detained him for interrogation over his conduct.
During interrogation, Akpannu told the Police that Prophet Reuben instilled fear into him by giving him false prophecy that his only sister will die by January, 2023 and he quickly decided to kill the prophet so that what he said will not happen to her sister.
He was charged before the Isolo Magistrates Court for willfully damaging his shop and attempting to murder the victim.
The Court did not take his plea following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Mr. Oje Uagbale asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice. Hence, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Akokhia, ordered his remand in the correctional center pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The report of the DPP has now found him culpable and recommended his trial for the alleged offence at the High Court.