After failing to honour the police invitation on Monday, embattled founder of Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries, Pastor Chris Okafor, on Tuesday, reported at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, for questioning.

Okafor, it was gathered, arrived at the department on Tuesday afternoon after some highly placed persons cautioned him about disobeying a lawful invitation.

His defiance, it was learnt, was not unconnected to the ongoing investigation of the case between himself and estranged lover, actress Doris Ogalla, at the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 2 Command in Onikan.

Sources told The Nation that the preacher accused by multiple women of sexual impropriety, abuse of authority, and alleged murder, felt that since a case was already initiated by him at the zonal command where Ogalla was alleged to have been detained earlier, he could ignore subsequent invitations from other police units.

“But some highly placed persons read the news that he shunned the police invitation and warned him about the implications. That’s why he presented himself at the SCID in Yaba for questioning.

“His statement was taken, but he was not detained since there is no complainant yet. We have made attempts to reach out to the victims, even offered them protection and transportation to and from, but no one showed up.

“Since there is already an investigation ongoing at Zone 2, where there is a suspect and a complainant, the Lagos Police Command will stand down to allow Zone 2 conclude their investigation.

“However, our offer to victims to come forward remains open. We are not dismissing the case, we are just standing down,” said a senior officer who pleaded anonymity.

Spokesperson for the police command, SP Abimbola Adebisi confirmed the pastor was at the SCID on Tuesday afternoon but did not give further details.

Okafor was invited by the Lagos State Police Command in a letter dated January 3, which directed he should submit himself for interrogation on or before 10 am on Monday, a directive he rebuffed.

Okafor’s issue with the law followed a series of allegations from multiple women, including his daughter, ex-lovers, and members of his church.

The Commissioner of Police (CP) Olohundare Jimoh ordered a probe into the matter as more weighty allegations emerged online against the pastor.

Okafor’s disgrace started weeks ago after Ogalla, with whom he had an unholy relationship, called him out over an alleged breach of a marriage promise.

The allegations with supporting audio-visual “evidence” startled the public, causing outrage, with Nigerians demanding a criminal investigation against Okafor.

The pastor who tied the knot with his new bride, Pearl, on December 16, initially dismissed the allegations as the handiwork of his enemies but later admitted to some and tendered a public apology to his congregants before stepping aside as the senior pastor of the church.

Among his accusers are his Cameroonian ex-wife, with whom he allegedly had four children and multiple women in his congregation, including three siblings who claimed to have been hypnotised and impregnated by the randy preacher.

Ogalla, who has refused to back down from publicly shaming Okafor, alleged he shared her nude photographs and videos; made her leave her previous marriage, caused the death of her younger brother, along several other accusations.

She further alleged that Okafor offered her a $10,000 bribe to retract her allegations and blame a rival pastor for orchestrating the scandal, a request she refused.

Ogalla later demanded N1 billion in damages through a legal notice filed by her lawyers, alleging threats and intimidation following her arrest and detention by the police.

(The Nation, with headline reworked)

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