The Congregation of Yahweh Lagos has denied allegations of sexual abuse, harassment, maltreatment and other forms of misconduct against its leadership and members by some former members of the church.
“The congregation in a statement signed by its Chairman, Assembly, Apst. Yehudah Nnedu said the allegations were “false, malicious and unfounded” and that issues raised by the former members should be properly investigated and not decided through social media publications.
The statement follows a viral interview on YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms where four former members of the congregation – Diuto Okwuonu, Ugomma Okwuonu, Amara Okwuonu and Susana Okwuonu – along with their mother, Naomi Okwuonu, made allegations against the church, its General Overseer, members of her family and others in the congregation.
The church is concerned about the circulation of the allegations when a petition on the matter was still being investigated by the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja.
It does not trivialize allegations of sexual misconduct, particularly where a child is involved, but maintained that the seriousness of an allegation should not be seen as evidence of guilt, the congregation said.
“The Congregation of Yahweh categorically denies all allegations as false, malicious and unfounded,” the statement said.
Diuto Okwuonu alleged attempted sexual harassment and beating, but the church denied that any of its leadership had ever sexually harassed, made sexual advances toward or beaten her.
“It described the allegation as “false,” noting that no such incident had previously been reported either within the church or to law enforcement authorities before the recent media campaign.
Ugomma Okwuonu had alleged that she and two other sisters were sexually abused and “passed from one brother to another”. The church described the claim as “grievous, incestuous and highly defamatory”.
The congregation maintained that none of the male members of the church had had any sexual relationship with Ugomma, and added that Brother Emmanuel was betrothed to Susana Okwuonu only.
The story was also meant to destroy Emmanuel’s marriage, his faith and his reputation, it said, while arguing that the moral standards it upheld did not permit or institutionalize sexual misconduct.
The church’s General Overseer maltreated Amara Okwuonu and ended her university education in Ghana after her marriage was annulled the church’s congregation denied the claim.
The decision regarding her scholarship was not punitive but was a collective decision of the family and institution based on available resources, concerns over academic conduct and moral standards and conditions attached to the institutional support, it said.
The church also denied allegations involving Susana Okwuonu, whom it identified as the former wife of Brother Emmanuel.
The congregation claimed Susana allegedly abandoned her husband and child for more than two years before returning to claim custody.
But the church said the welfare and best interests of the child should always come first.
On the allegation of Mrs Naomi Okwuonu’s employment with Union Bank, the congregation denied instructing her to leave the bank.
It said she disengaged at a time when the bank was undergoing staff rationalization and downsizing, adding that decisions she later took on her employment and pension benefits were personal decisions.
The congregation also accused the former members and their mother of engaging in what they described as ongoing “false commentaries, insults, name-calling and videos” against the church, its General Overseer and her family.
Read Also: Insecurity: Igbo Group Calls for Arrest, Prosecution of Senator Buba
It said the activities had caused tension in the community and that one of the former members had been seen around the family home with some unidentified persons.
The church said it had reported the matter to the Festac Police Division and preserved the alleged defamatory videos, publications and social media posts for possible legal proceedings.
The Congregation of Yahweh also referenced what it described as years of assistance to the Okwuonu family.
The assistance reportedly provided to the family included free accommodation, feeding and basic needs, educational expenses, medical care and other welfare support.
It also alleged the church paid for the father of the family to go on a free pilgrimage or trip to Israel.
The congregation said the history of help was being omitted from the allegations being spread against it.
It said members were free to leave the church but argued that departure should not be the basis for what it called rewriting the church’s history of the relationship between the family and the congregation.
The church said it had briefed its lawyers and was taking steps to protect the reputation and rights of its leaders and members.
It said it would consider taking appropriate civil and criminal legal action against persons responsible for what it called false publications, as well as facilitators, publishers or platforms who continued to pass on unverified allegations.
The congregation also called on all parties to retain recordings, publications, social media posts and other materials connected to the allegations, saying they might become relevant evidence.
