Police arrest 2 for “falsely accusing bishop of supporting Niger Delta Avengers”

Press release

The attention of Delta State police command has been drawn to a news report published in the Punch newspapers on Wednesday, 20th July, 2016 at page 14, with the caption, “Police quiz bishop for allegedly sponsoring Avengers”, and wishes to intimate the general public that the command did not, and is not investigating any case bothering on alleged sponsorship of the Avengers against any bishop.

The command however wishes to inform that on 20/7/2016 at about 1200hours, the Area commander, Warri received a petition dated on the same date by one Smart Itumor and Robinson Dagolo, both males, against one Bishop Jero Sunday (male).

The petitioners alleged the bishop of being a pipeline vandal, gun runner, dealer in hard drugs and sponsoring of thugs around the Creeks. They also claimed that the bishop threatened their lives. Based on the report, detectives commenced immediate investigation. Search warrant was obtained from Magistrate Court Warri and executed in the house, church and premises of the accused bishop in the presence of the petitioners as witnesses. During the search, nothing incriminating was found.

At the conclusion of investigation, it was discovered that the allegations against Bishop JeroSunday was spurious and malicious. The petitioners even made additional statements to the Police on 20/7/2016, admitting that their petition against the bishop was false, and it was only written to draw the attention of the government since they believed that the bishop was using his position as an ex-executive of the Egbema–Gbaramatu Council Development Forum to manipulate them out of a contract job in the area.

Finally, we reiterate that the case against the said bishop is not about the sponsorship of the Avengers. The Command is not handling any case involving the Avengers.

Meanwhile, the petitioners – Smart Itumor (male) and Robinson Dagolo (male) have since been arraigned before the magistrate court Warri for the offences of conspiracy and giving false information.