Businessman’s Death: Chris Okafor’s lawyer threatens action over reports of cleric’s arrest

The legal team of Chris Okafor, founder of Grace Nation International Church, has broken its silence on reports surrounding the cleric’s alleged arrest in connection with an investigation into the death of a Germany-based Nigerian businessman.

The controversy followed the arrest of Mr Okafor’s parents-in-law, Justin Iwerebor and his wife, Anthonia, by officers of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti. They were taken into custody over the circumstances surrounding the death of Solomon Iwerebor, Justin’s brother.

Solomon reportedly died in September after staying with the couple during a visit to Nigeria. His relatives petitioned the police, alleging that they were not given sufficient information about his illness, the hospital where he was treated, his medical records or the whereabouts of his remains.

The family also maintained that Mr Okafor and his wife, Pearl, might possess information about Solomon’s health and movements before his death. It said the deceased attended the cleric’s church and sought spiritual intervention there. The family consequently demanded an autopsy and a thorough investigation. No public evidence has established that the pastor committed an offence in connection with the death.

Reacting to reports surrounding the investigation and Mr Okafor’s alleged arrest, his lawyer, Ife Ajayi, described the circulating narrative as “incriminating” and “embarrassing.”

The lawyer also warned that his client would take legal action against anyone linking him to the businessman’s death.

Mr Ajayi said: “We are carefully observing, watching and monitoring how this vile and very incriminating and very embarrassing narrative is being spread, and we would consider bringing actions both criminal and civil against those perpetrators.

“We strongly believe in coordinating this narrative because we believe any responsible journalist or media house will balance the story by hearing from both sides to make their own informed judgments.”

Mr Ajayi further dismissed any association between his client and the deceased businessman, saying the only connection he could think of was through the cleric who married into the family.

According to him, the businessman had suffered from the illness long before his client married into the family.

“The deceased does not attend his church, never had any special interaction with Dr Chris except the fact that he was married into the family. And he had been ill for a long time before Dr Chris even thought of marrying into that family. So it’s disappointing how you see this as coordinated, and how you see some faction of the family deliberately trying to drag Dr Chris into what he has no business with.

“His church has no involvement. There is nothing because Dr Chris has not been summoned; no inquiry or police investigation is establishing that there is a link between Dr Chris and whatever situation the man was going through or facing before his demise.”

Mr Ajayi said the disagreement was strictly a family matter involving Mr Okafor’s in-laws and other members of their family.

He ruled out any link between the dispute and the cleric, his church or his pastoral responsibilities.

Giving an account of what transpired, the lawyer said, “There is a young man called Mr Solomon, who is a relative or a junior brother or a senior brother to the in-laws of Dr Chris. This young man had been struggling and battling with an illness for about eight to nine years. He has tried all kinds of medical interventions in Nigeria, Germany, and Ghana, where he was actively running his business.

“When he became quite ill, and they needed what they call hospice care, I think he was advised to go to traditional medical intervention because of the nature of the illness, which was quite serious. He had been struggling with this illness and with some measure of dispute with members of his own family, who are his immediate siblings. And this was long before Dr Chris met his wife and got married to that family.”

Mr Ajayi explained that the family feud centred on where to lay the late businessman to rest.

“So upon his demise, some members of the family felt that the man should be, for some reason, buried in the village where the man came from, whereas some other faction, who are another in-law of Dr Chris, felt the man should be buried in Lagos, where his dying declaration stipulates he wants to be buried. Because of this dispute, it escalated. One faction of the family thereafter took another faction to court in a bid to compel or use the police to ensure that this man is buried where they want him to be buried, which is in their village.

“The police, looking at the situation, called parties for questioning. That is the other side of the in-law who was being questioned. After they gave their side of the story, the investigation continued. The primary report or preliminary intervention of the police indicates that this man died of natural causes. There has been no foul play. However, the other faction is using this issue to try to settle an internal family feud. And this is the best I can give you for now.”