The ongoing criminal trial of former Dunamis International Gospel Centre Pastor Abraham Daniel and Peter Enenche has been adjourned following the absence of the presiding magistrate, Chief Emmanuel A. Iyanna.
The case, scheduled for continuation on Wednesday, was stalled as Magistrate Iyanna failed to appear in court.
While no official reason was provided, sources within the judiciary revealed that he had been summoned before a disciplinary panel to address allegations of misconduct filed by the defendants.
Reports suggest that the magistrate had hurriedly searched for case files related to the matter the previous day and had set aside remand orders he had previously issued.
The petition against him, submitted by the defendants, accused him of abuse of office, corruption, procedural violations, and issuing improper remand orders.
The disputed remand order had directed the detention of Abraham Daniel, Enenche Idoga Alexander, Peter Obonyilo Enenche, and Reno Omokri at the Nigeria Correctional Service pending further investigation and prosecution. The order stated:
“An order of this Honourable Court for remand warrant of the Respondents — (i) Mr. Daniel Abraham, (ii) Mr. Enenche Idoga Alexander, (iii) Mr. Peter Obonyilo Enenche, and (iv) Mr. Reno Omokri in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service pending investigation, arraignment, and prosecution.
It is hereby ordered that the Respondents be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction after the conclusion of the said investigation.”
The defendants argued that the remand order was flawed, as it did not specify a duration for their detention, contrary to legal provisions that require remand periods to be clearly defined, typically for seven or 14 days.
As a result of the magistrate’s absence and the ongoing disciplinary process, the trial has been postponed until May 26, 2025.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has requested the Magistrate’s Court in Abuja to revoke Peter Enenche’s bail, citing alleged violations of his bail conditions in an ongoing criminal defamation case.
According to a motion filed on March 17, 2025, by Francis Gabriel Esq. from the Nigeria Police Force’s Legal Prosecution Section, the IGP is seeking an order for Peter Enenche’s detention at the Nigeria Correctional Service until the trial’s conclusion.
The legal filing was made under various provisions of the Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended), the Police Act, and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015).
The prosecution alleges that Peter breached his bail conditions, warranting his remand.
Abraham Daniel, Peter Enenche, and other individuals still at large are currently standing trial at the Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja.
They are accused of criminal defamation against Dunamis International Gospel Centre’s General Overseer, Pastor Paul Enenche, and Redeemed Christian Church of God’s General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
