Society Gists

More trouble for the convicted shepherd-in-charge of Celestial Church of Christ, Global Genesis Parish, Lagos, Israel Ogundipe, who was sentenced to two years by an Ikeja High court some weeks ago, as his post conviction bail application is rejected.

It had reported that a Lagos state high court had convicted Ogundipe for defrauding Olaide Williams-Oni, a UK-based woman, of N17 million.

Prior to his conviction, Ogundipe has been on trial since 2011, for seven counts of obtaining by stealing, inducing delivery of money by false pretence, unlawful conversion of property and forgery.

According to NAN, Ogundipe, who cited health grounds, asked the court to grant him unconditional bail pending the hearing and determination of the appeal of his sentence.

Defending the bail application, Olanrewaju Ajanaku, his counsel, in a 16-paragraph affidavit, said Ogundipe is suffering from diabetes, which requires a strict diet and specialised medical attention which cannot be provided in the correctional centre.

Ajanaku also noted that his client was suffering from hypertension, peptic ulcer and unending malaria, before his conviction, which has become worse, making him look pale.

Rotimi Odutola, the prosecuting counsel, in a counter-affidavit, argued that over ten years of his trial, the clergyman never complained about his health status not until he was convicted three weeks ago.

Odutola argued that if Ogundipe’s health status requires special medical attention, the correctional centre will carry out a referral without informing anyone.

“It is late and he can’t be complaining about his alleged state of health now that he has been in custody for barely three weeks,” Odutola said.

“Indeed, if his health status truly requires treatment, the correctional centres also have a procedure for referral where an inmate’s health case so demands without the prompting of anyone.”

However, an Ikeja High Court Judge, Olabisi Akinlade has dismissed the bail application and ordered Ogundipe to continue serving his jail term at the Kirikiri correctional centre, in Lagos.

Akinlade, in the ruling, said Ogundipe had not proved his case to persuade the court to grant him bail.