SHOCKER! N22 million suit: Clergy calls Lawyer Gold-Digger over broken teeth

Bishop Dr. Chris KWAKPOVWE of Our Daily Manna

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.