The Judge said the jail term was reduced to two years due to the plea by the defence counsel.Pastor John Abiodun sent to jail for lying against another pastor (Punch)
The Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has sentenced Pastor John Abiodun to two years’ imprisonment for false allegation against Pastor Gbenga Akinbiyi, the founder of Promiseland Prophetic Ministry.
Abiodun was arrested in 2019 for lying that seven placentas were planted on the alter of Akinbiyi’s church.
According to Punch, the convict, who was a former member of the church, swore an affidavit before the commissioner for oaths on the matter.
Following the allegation, Abiodun and Prof. Lanre Olu-Adeyemi, a lecturer of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko were arraigned on eight counts bordering on conspiracy, publication of false information, perjury, impersonation, threatening violence, among others.
Olu-Adeyemi is said to be the admin of a WhatsApp group on which the false accusation was published.
On Friday, January 22, 2021, the trial judge, Justice Bode Adegbehingbe, found Abiodun guilty of count five of the charge.
The judge said Abiodun contradicted himself while giving evidence in the allegation against him.
Adegbehinde said the defendant used different church WhatsApp platforms and other social media to malign and wrongly accuse the founder of the church.
He said Abiodun was guilty of perjury, an offence punishable under Section 118 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ondo State, adding that anybody found guilty of perjury was liable to life or 14 years’ imprisonment.
He, however, said the jail term would be reduced to two years due to the plea by the defence counsel, Mr Olanrewaju Adesanmi.
The second defendant, Olu-Adeyemi was discharged and acquitted on the ground that the investigation conducted by the police on his involvement in the matter was shoddy.
