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| Bishop Dr. Chris KWAKPOVWE, |
A clergy, Rev. Dr. Chris Kwakpovwe, has asked Mr. Justice Samuel Candid-Johnson
of a Lagos High Court, Igbosere to dismiss a N22 million suit brought by a
lawyer, Miss Tamara Egbedi, over her broken teeth, stating that she is a gold
digger.
Miss Egbedi, a lawyer in the Aelex law firm, Ikoyi Lagos had instituted
the suit No. LD/359/2011 and joined the Registered Trustees of the Chapel of
Liberty also known as the Voice of Liberty Ministries with the clergy who is
also the publisher of Our Daily Manna, as defendants.
She asked the court to award damages for the teeth injury sustained by
her during a fast anointing service organized by the church at the National
Stadium in the following sum: N1, 454, 000 being special damages, N20, 000, 000
being general damages and N1, 000, 000 being the cost of completing her medical
treatment when she fell into a gutter during the programme.
However, at the resumed hearing of the matter, Dr. Kwakpovwe, a trained
pharmacist, led by his lawyer, Anthony Mukoro, adopted his sworn statement of
defence and told Justice Candid-Johnson under cross-examination that the
claimant might have conspired with others to obtain money from him taking
advantage of the benevolence of the church towards act of charity.
He said about 12,000-15, 000 people came for the crusade programme which
was held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium for the first time
and that there was arrangement for controlled outside sittings such as nursing
mothers, the sick and it was well organized.
According to him: “As the service ended, she came to me and said she
must see me or else she will die as people were trying to stop her from
reaching me, I asked them to allow her come and as I was going to lay my hands
on her to pray with her, she said: “don’t touch me, I didn’t come for prayer, I
want you to see my mouth. I have a matter I want you to settle, my lawyers are
waiting, don’t touch me.”
He said he was told then that she had injury but quickly added that it
was possible that she came from a night club called OJ club which was in the radius
of the stadium where there was a fight that night.
The claimant in her statement stated that sometime in December 2009, she
purchased a copy of the January-March 2010 edition of Our Daily Manna and in
the said publication, the defendants informed readers that they were organizing
a 21-day fast for the new year commencing on January 2, 2010 and ending on
January 22, 2010. At page 35 of the publication, readers were invited by the
defendants to attend the end of fast anointing service scheduled to hold at the
National Stadium Complex, Surulere, Lagos on January 22, 2010.
Based on the aforementioned invitation, she attended the end of fast
anointing service in the company of her sister, Miss Ebiere Egbedi and her
cousin, Miss Bomiya Clark.
Meanwhile the court has adjourned the matter till October
17, 2016 after
counsel in the matter told the court that final written addresses have been
filed in accordance with rule of court.
