The protest led by some notable artistes like Baba Fryo, Charley Boy and Eedris Abdulkarim accused accuse the top pastor of been mute over cogent national issues affecting Nigerians. “According to the group, they had come to show their unhappiness with his supposed silence over killings of Christians, establishment of cattle camps called RUGA and kidnapping in the Pastor Adeboye led the congregation in supplication for God’s mercy on Nigeria after speaking on the negative consequences of bloodshed and inhumanity.”

But in a statement on Wednesday at the National Headquarters of the Church, he reaffirmed his commitment to the umbrella Christian organizations that are mandated to speak on issues affecting the Church and the nation as a whole.

The statement, signed by RCCG’ Head, Media & Public Relations, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi, said: “As in the past, that the views of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) represented his position and that of the RCCG.

“Pastor Adeboye, himself a one-time PFN President, noted that the aforementioned Christian bodies had spoken on the issues of kidnapping, killing of Christians, herdsmen attacks and general insecurity in Nigeria and that his position and that of the RCCG was not different from their expressed views.

“Besides, as a Pastor and spiritual father to millions of people in Nigeria and across the world, he regularly leads the congregation to pray over the problems confronting the nation at all major programs of the Church.”

Pastor Adeboye, according to Olubiyi, said, to be quiet does not mean that you are silent, disclosed that he had made his views on the issues known to all the relevant authorities. He declared that very soon, Nigerians shall see that God answers prayers. He enjoined all to remain calm and maintain the peace.

The incident, according to several eyewitnesses, happened on Wednesday, during the midweek service of RCCG, Ijapo, in Akure.

Justice Omoleye allegedly came inside the RCCG, Glory Tabernacles, Ijapo Estate, Akure, at about 10:00a.m. disrupting ongoing every Wednesday’s Divine Encounter service.

The judge whose her private residence is located beside the church, has been having a running battle with the RCCG, claiming that prayers and noise from the church members usually disturb her.

Even when the church has been located at the place in since 1989, when the State Housing Corporation approved the land for it. The Judge was said to have bought the landed property beside the church about 10 years ago, since then she had been complaining about the activities of the church.

An eyewitness who did not want his name in print said: “Hon. Justice Omoleye Folayemi of the Court of Appeal, Akure, enters the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Glory Tabernacle Parish, Ijapo Estate-Akure.

“The Provincial Headquarters of Ondo Province 1 during our mid-week Wednesday Divine Encounter Service between the hours of 10a.m and 12p.m., and slapped a 68-year-old woman, and one of the pastors who tried to advise her not to disrupt the church service.”

Confirming the attack, the Assistant Pastor, Olatunde Awoyelu, and Pastor Dele Oyesola in-charge of the affected church, confirmed the incident. They described Folayemi’s action as strange and dishonorable to a very senior legal officer.

Also, the Pastor in Charge of the Region 22 comprising Ondo and Ekiti States, Pastor Idris Umar, said the church had directed its lawyer to write a petition against the Judge for her dishonorable action by slapping and beating a 68-year-old Assistant Pastor, Mrs. Felicia Akindurojoye and another Parish pastor Felix Solomon during the Wednesday’s Divine Encounter service.

He said the woman was rushed to the State Specialist Hospital for treatment over the injury received while Solomon did not sustain serious injury.

Umar said the petition would be forwarded to the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate and punish Justice Omoleye.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph, said investigations had begun into the matter.

Joseph said the DPO in charge of Ijapo Police Station has been directed by the Commissioner of Police to interrogate all the parties to the dispute.

In a statement made available on Thursday by the Head, Media & Public Relations of the church, Pastor Olaitan Olubiyi stated that Michael decided to take his own life after going into depression.

However, contrary to the report trending on the social media and has also featured in the newspapers, claiming that the deceased was a minister of RCCG, who felt abandoned by the church leaving all alone to face his accommodation problem.

The statement added: “While the RCCG leadership sympathizes with the family of the deceased, it has become necessary to clarify the mis-information and absolute falsehood in the report.

“The said Mr. Michael Arowosaiye was not a minister in the RCCG. He was a singer and a keyboardist in one of our Youth Parishes in Abuja until 2017 when he left for another ministry.

“His movement to another ministry notwithstanding, Michael, through his elder brother who is presently one of the coordinators of the RCCG Youth Choir, continued to get invitation to minister in RCCG programs.

“He had accommodation problem in 2018 and though he was no longer in the RCCG, a family in the Mission gave him the Boy’s Quarters of their house in Sunnyvale Estate in Lokogoma FCT, which was where he lived till the unfortunate suicide incident, he added

The spokesman of the commission however maintained that it is untrue to refer to the deceased as a Minister in the RCCG, adding that it is misleading and absolutely incorrect to create the impression that RCCG does not care for its Members and Ministers.

“The RCCG is in the forefront among organizations with robust welfare package in Nigeria.”