Ogun accuses Winners’ Chapel members of beating TV crew

Members of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, aka Winners’ Chapel, were on Friday, alleged to have descended on members of the Ogun State government television crew in Ota, beating them black and blue.

The state government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, a copy of which was made available to Sunday Tribune, on Saturday, lamented that this was not the first time members of the church would be attacking officials of the government who went on duty to the church premises.

Olaniyonu said in the statement that “members of Winners’ Chapel, once again, visited violence on another set of officials of Ogun State Government as they assaulted a reporter and cameraman of the state television station (OGTV).

“On Thursday, security personnel of the Kingdom Heritage Nursery and Primary School, a commercial venture located within the complex of Winners’ Chapel, had assaulted tax officials and damaged assets of the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service (OGIRS).

“The reporter, Peter Falomo, and his cameraman, Lekan Egunjobi, were severely beaten and their camera damaged when they went to the Ota premises of the church to cover the service of building inspection notices by officials of the Ministry Of Urban and Physical Planning. The video camera of the television crew was forcibly seized and damaged in the process. The camera was only released after the recording had been wiped off.

The commissioner said the leadership of the church was on ground while the attack on the government officials was going on, without making any move to prevent the church members from committing the act, adding that the head pastor of the church, Bishop Timothy Oyedepo, even vented invectives on the government for daring to regulate building activities in the premises.

 The commissioner added that the General Manager of the State Urban and Physical Planning Board, Mr Stephen Adewolu, who was part of the team that was molested in Ota, expressed shock at “the lawlessness displayed by the Winners’ Chapel members and their leaders.”

Efforts to speak with authorities of the church proved abortive as calls made to the telephone of its Director, Media relations and Services, Deacon Anselm Opara, were not answered.

Also, a text message that read: “We need your church’s reaction. Your church members in Ota, under Bishop Timothy Oyedepo, were accused of beating up Ogun State Government officials from the Ministry of Urban and regional Planning on Thursday,’ was sent to Deacon Opara, but was not replied until press time.