Lockdown: Court orders remand of popular Lagos pastor, Jehova Sharp-Sharp, 2 others

Lagos State Magistrates’ Court, Igbosere has instruct the remand of Archbishop Samson Mustapha Benjamin, commonly known as Jehovah Sharp-Sharp, of Resurrection Praise Chapel, in detention.

The court instruct the remand of Jehovah Sharp-Sharp alongside two others, Jerry Abel and Johnson Benjamin, who were arraigned for violating the lockdown directive of the government.

The trio would be in police custody, pending sublimity of the bail granted them by the court.

Chief Magistrate O. O. Oshin slammed N1million bail sum on the pastor, while others got N500, 000 bail after they pleaded not blameworthy to the three counts charge made against him and two others, by the State’s Department of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The defendants were arrested by police on Tuesday, at the Chinese Embassy, where they had gone to protest reportedly ill-treatment melted on Nigerians in China, regardless of the lockdown directive.

They were arraigned on charges bordering on contravene the lockdown directive and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace.












The offences, as stated by the prosecutor, Babajide Martins, are contrary to Sections 1(1)(2) of COVID-19 Regulations 2020 and thereby committed an crime punishable under Section 5 Quarantine Act. Cap. Q2 Vol. 14, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, Section 168 (1)(2) and crime punishable under Section 122 of Criminal Law Cap. C17, Vol 3, Laws of the Lagos State 2015.

Following their not blameworthy plea, their lawyer, E.O. Ogbeche, and two others counsel, who pleaded with the court to admit bail to their clients in the most liberal terms, guaranteed the court of their presence till the matter is set on.

Ruling on the bail application, Oshin granted the defendants bail in the amount mentioned with two sureties in like sum.

She added that one of the sureties must be a Grade Level 14 officer in the appointment of the Federal or Lagos State government, and that the other guarantor must be a cleric.

All the guarantor's must also produce confirmation of three years tax payable to the state government, confirmation of means of livelihood and the must be residents of the state.

The matter has been adjourned till May 20, for lawsuit.