Fresh troubles may be ahead of the embattled former General Superintendent of Assemblies Of God Nigeria, Chief Paul Emeka, as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, has officially taken over his prosecution for forgery from Assemblies of God Nigeria.
Emeka, a former General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Nigeria, was alleged to have forged a University of Derby Professorial Certificate which he purportedly claimed to had been awarded to him by the Authorities of the University of Derby, Derbyshire England on August 24, 2005.
Chief Paul Emeka allegedly presented himself to the Assemblies of God Nigeria as a Professor from University of Derby, Derbyshire in England, and based on the information he presented to the church, he was made one of the Trustees of the church.
In January 2015, the Church (Complainant) upon investigation, found out that Rev. Paul Emeka (Defendant), allegedly forged the professional certificate he presented to it because University of Derby, Derbyshire in England, where he claimed to have received his professorship title, sent a disclaimer letter on January 15, 2015 through Mr James Eaglesfield, the Head of Governance and IT Portfolio, of not having a record of the name Paul Emeka in the University’s Conferment Committee archives and that they do not hold of him receiving a title of Professor.
“The name Paul Emeka does not appear in the University’s Conferment Committee archives and we do not hold a record of Paul Emeka receiving a title of Professor
“The University of Derby did not issue the attached certificate and none of the signatories are,or have been, post-holders at the University of Derby,” the university declared.
The Incorporated Trustees of Assemblies of God Nigeria on discovery that the said certificate was fake, petitioned the Nigeria Police Force.
In November 2015,the Nigeria Police Force completed its investigation but failed to charge Chief Paul Emeka to Court for undisclosed reason.
Emeka was Ayo Orisetjafor’s Campaign Manager for South East when he (Ayo) contested for the position of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The Registered Trustees of Assemblies of God Nigeria filed a direct criminal complain against Chief Paul Emeka at the Upper Area Court Gudu Abuja in a case No. CR/1081/15 in Pursuant to Section 88(1) and 90 of the Adminstration of Criminal Justice Act,2015.
On February 4, 2016, the Presiding Judge Justice Umar Yusuf Kargarko ordered the Nigerian Police Force to arrest and produce Chief Paul Emeka for trial.
“It Is Hereby Ordered: That the Police Shall Bring the said Investigation report together with the Suspect before this honourable Court”‘
The Police refused obeying that order till today despite the acknowledgement of the receipt of the Court Order by the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit on the 17th Of February 2016.
When PUO reports reached the former Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, he denied that he never received any order to arrest Chief Paul Emeka.
It was on this note that the Attorney General of the Federal, Mr Abubakar Malami, who was complainant to by the Counsel to the Incorporated Trustees of Assemblies of God Nigeria, Ifeanyi Nwaeze, directed the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to take over the prosecution because certificate forgey and use of forged documents are crimes against the state, punishable under Section 363,364 and 366 of the Penal Code
“offence of forgery with “fraudulent intent” punishable under Section 364 of the same law with 10-20 years in jail.
At the resumed sitting of the Court on Tuesday August 20th 2016, lawyers to Chief Paul Emeka had come to present the Order for stay of Execution given by Justice K.N Ogbonnaya of the Federal High Court Abuja, but they were shocked to notice the presence of prosecution sent by the Attorney General of the Federation.
The Prosecutor from the Ministry of Justice, I A Charles Okolie (Mrs) told the Judge, Justice Umar Yusuf Kagarko, that the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubaka Malami, has given an approval for the Federal Government to prosecute Chief Paul Emeka.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Umar Yusuf Kagarko, told J U Ajii, the counsel to Chief Paul Emeka that he could not disobey the directives of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The Court adjourned the matter till the 19th of September to enable the Attorney General prepare and amend the charges to read: “Federl Republic of Nigeria Vs Rev Dr Paul Emeka.”
