Magistrate Olaolu Olanipekun of the Oyo State Magistrate Court Seven sitting at Iyaganku in Ibadan has issued a bench warrant against Prophet Ojo Amos, a.k.a Elewuogbo, for failing to appear before the court for the hearing of a defamation of character suit filed against him by the police for alleged defamation of Sat Guru Maharaji.
The court ordered that Elewuogbo and his two sureties be arrested and detained till the next adjourned date for refusing to present himself in court after being granted bail.
Also, a Lagos-based blogger, Gbenga Dan Asabe, had appeared before the court for a sister case.
The duo of Elewuogbo and Asabe had been accused of using media publications to claim that Maharaj Ji is selling human body parts for money ritual purposes.
The court further granted the request for the consolidation of the cases against Elewuogbo and Dan Asabe brought by Maharaj Ji’s counsel, Barrister Dapo Akinosi.
Barrister Akinosi had prayed the court that since facts of the two cases are related, it would be better if they were merged together.
The self-acclaimed Prophet, who had through different media publications accused Maharaji of being a ritualist, was quoted to have said that he published false allegations against Maharaji because he wanted to become popular.
The charge brought against him reads in part: “That you Ojo Amos “m” and others now at large on 4th September, 2023 at Dugbe area, Ibadan in the Ibadan Magisterial District did conspire with one another to commit felony to wit; publishing defamatory matter and publication of false news and thereby commit an offence contrary to and punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38 Vol. 11, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.
“That you Ojo Amos “m” and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District with intent to injure the reputation and expose to hatred did unlawfully publish defamatory matter in “Iwe Iroyin Yoruba Tooto” that Sat Guru Maharaji is a ritualist who sells human body parts for money rituals knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 376 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38 Vol. 11, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.
“That you Ojo Amos “m” and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public did unlawfully publish false news in “Iwe Iroyin Yoruba Tooto” that Sat Guru Maharaji is a ritualist who sells human body parts for money rituals knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 59 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38 Vol. 11, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000″.
The accused person pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge and asked the court to grant him bail.
The Magistrate subsequently granted him bail of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum, who must be residents of Ibadan working with a reputable organisation with a valid identify cards.
Elewuogbois expected to be in detention till the next adjourned date of April 30, 2024
and then