A middle-aged Pastor, Paul Oyewole, has been dragged before a Chief Magistrate Court for threatening to kill a Magistrate, Mrs Mosunmola Ikujuni, if she fails to rule in his favour in a case before her.
The clergyman who is standing trial for obtaining the sum of N3 million from a complainant under the pretence of returning the same amount within seven days, but reneged on his promise, was said to have faked his own death.
The defendant was also alleged to have conducted himself in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace, by demanding the phone number of the Magistrate to further threaten him.
He was arrested by the men of the state police command and thereafter charged to court on a two-count charge.
The Police Prosecutor, Bernard Olagbayi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on July 21, 2023, at Oka in Ondo town, Ondo State.
The charge read: “That you, Paul Oyewole, on July 21, 2023 at Oka, Ondo in the Ondo Magisterial District, did write a threat letter to kill his worship, Magistrate Mosunmola Ikujuni, if she refuses to listen to your warning and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 323 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. 1 Laws of the Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.
“That you, Paul Oyewole on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned magisterial district, corruptly promised to give, Magistrate Mosunmola Ikujuni money or recharge card to favour you in a case with charge number MOD/21c/2023, Commissioner of Police vs Paul Oyewole, in which you are a defendant, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 98a(b) of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.”
Oyewole however pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs Charity Adeyanju, however, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum.
The case was adjourned to November 16, 2023 for hearing.
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