Police Wades Into Ajegunle Baptist Church Agbowo Ibadan Crisis, Pastor Arrested

By Our Reporter

The crisis that erupted at Ajegunle Baptist Church Agbowo Ibadan following conflicts between concerned members of the Church and the Assembly Pastor, Rev.E.O Oyekan has reached its climax.

Rev.Oyekan who was invited to the Oyo state Police headquarters Friday could not honour the invitation because of his engagement outside the state capital, it was learnt.

He was reported to have sent his lawyer to the police but police insisted that they preferred the Reverend himself.He drove to the state headquarters today Monday to state his defence, an insider said.

The Reverend who was given a warm and polite reception was awaiting an officer assigned to interrogate him when our reporter left the Police Head quarter.Police said he was only invited on the strength of a petition adding that he was not arrested.

The Police Public Relations Officer,Superintendent Ade .Ajisebutu could not be reached as He was said to be out on an official engagement and his line was engaged as at press time.

It was reliably gathered that a fresh petition by Concerned elders of the Church over alleged financial misappropriation by the Reverend prompted the police intervention.

A Church service in the Assembly was recently terminated over the conflict that started many months ago when the Concerned members insisted that Rev.Oyekan must leave the church.

A booklet titled “Financial misapplication without embezzlement” the Nigerian Baptist Convention Way (A case study of Ajegunle Baptist church ,Agbowo Ibadan crisis)has been published and widely circulated in the city.

The concerned members Mr.G.A.Odekunle, Dn.T.A.Ojo,Mr A.M.Okunade and Mr.T.A.Adewuyi accused Rev Oyekan of financial malpractices and called on Baptist Convention to remove him having spent many years in crisis.

However, Rev.Oyekan declared that he was ready to defend himself of all the allegations levelled against him adding that he was innocent

Investigation revealed that the crisis has polarized the Assembly into two factions and consequently stalled the growth of the Church.

Officers of the Baptist Convention, the highest ruling body of the Church assured that the crisis would be resolved without a recourse to litigations adding that the whole conflict was the handiwork of devil.