Anambra Pastor Who Married 75 Wives Denied Bail As Supporters Go Berserk
An Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka on Tuesday refused to grant the bail application filed by Pastor Harrison Anazodo, the General Overseer of Dayspring Assembly, Awada-Obosi.
Anazodo is being prosecuted by Anazodo who is being prosecuted by Anambra government on a seven-count charge including alleged propagation of wealth through supernatural means.
Chineze Ononye-Ekwerekwu, the prosecution counsel and Chief Counsel at the State Ministry of Justice said the offense was proscribed by the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025.
Ononye-Ekwerekwu also accused the pastor of murder, abduction, unlawful separation and isolation of individuals from their families and keeping them in his residence.
The counsel informed the court that prosecution had filed a twenty-paragraph counter-affidavit sworn by Uchenna Obiefuna, accompanied by two exhibits.
She said the defendant was discharged from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) on Oct. 3 and tendered a discharge letter before the court.
She argued that granting bail would pose a flight risk, given the serious nature of the charges, adding the prosecution was ready to go ahead with the matter and present witnesses to testify against the accused.
But W. Abonye, counsel to the defendant in his motion for application, said his client had been sick and hospitalized since Sept. 13.
Aboonye submitted that the applicant has an illness which required surgery and pleaded that he should be granted bail on the grounds of serious ill-health.
Counsel pleaded with the court to grant the application to enable the defendant who has been on admission at COOUTH to receive proper medical care from his doctors so that he remains alive to defend himself.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Jude Obiora, refused the bail application and held that there was no life-threatening illness that could not be attended to while the defendant remains in custody.
Obiora expressed concern that the defendant might interfere with or become a threat to witnesses.
He adjourned the matter to Oct. 16 for further hearing.
Meanwhile, there was a melodrama at the court earlier at the Court as some supporters of the General Overseer attacked journalists and cameramen while trying to smuggle him into the courtroom.
The supporters, who were mostly women, youths and elderly men, used umbrellas to shield media practitioners who were trying to take shots of the suspect who appeared in a wheelchair.
It took the intervention of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Anambra who responded to a distress call to restore order at the court premises.
