The Senior Prophet of Christ Mercy Land Ministry, Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin, has reacted to the allegation by the National Agency for Food Administration and Control that the church was selling unauthorised miracle soap and miracle water to the public.
NAFDAC had on Sunday accused Fufeyin and the church of deceiving the public with its name on the products that are not registered.
Reacting in a statement on Sunday, the church said: “The media department of Mercyland television on behalf of Christ Mercy land deliverance ministry received with shock, the wrong narrative and news story posted by punch newspaper online and attributed to the Dg of nafdac by punch newspaper and punch online with the title: ‘NAFDAC INVESTIGATING PASTOR JEREMIAH MIRACLE WATER, SOAP-DG.’
“We wish to inform the members of the public that the above story by punch newspaper do not entirely represent the factual and real narratives of Christ mercy land deliverance Ministry and its investigation or dealings with Nafdac in this regard. We wish to state as follows that:
“1. That Christ Mercy land deliverance ministry is a law abiding christian Church and recognize the extant laws of the land and even the nafdac act in this regard.
“2. As a Christian Association, we are guided by Section 39 and 38 of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, that guarantees all christians and our Church the Right to freedom of religion without interference whatsoever in this regard.It is sequel to that, as a church we have been operating and guided by the tenets of our faith and biblical injunctions in the holy bible in this regard.We have been using certain spiritual items in expression of our religious beliefs.
“1. In reaction to the Punch Online story, we wish to state that Christ Mercy land deliverance ministry was fully aware that the only pending petition against our Church is the one by Mr Martins Vincent Otse (alais Verydarkblackman) who the Church has since sued before the FCT High Court on sundry allegations and matters.
However the church was in receipt of a letter dated the 27th August 2024 from nafdac office extending invitation to the Spiritual head of the church on the church miracle and healing spiritual item by the Nafdac Asaba office with the full designation as referenced on this letter. it quite unfortunate that as a law abiding organization, we did officially as an organization wrote to Nafdac headquarter office, Abuja on the short less than 12 hours time frame given to us to appear and by an official letter communicated our position in this matter to nafdac and then also sent another subsequent letter to nafdac.
We also bring to fore and knowledge of nafdac that the supposed nominal complainant to nafdac asaba office actually forge the Church receipts in other to clote himself with the right to bring a complaint before the nafdac office in this regard.
“2. We also wish to state that presently there is an ongoing police investigation of certain receipts that has indicted the nominal complainants to nafdac office, which same receipts is presumed to have been have forged and same used falsely in procuring the now investigated spiritual items by nafdac office.
“3. Moreso it should be noted that the alleged spiritual items sales receipts of the nominal complainants to nafdac in which he purportedly alleged to have used in evidencing a case in nafdac office, a look at same reveal that the position of the spiritual items receipt number are the same but different in other particulars with that normally issued by the church accounting office in the sense that vizaviz:
“a. That the nominal complainants receipts are different from the position in the actual receipt booklet and receipts in the custody of the church, the dates on the receipt are clearly and obviously altered different from church client official receipts.
“4. All this issues and narratives as stated above, the church wrote to the nafdac office and we clearly wish to state that nafdac till today never wrote to the church or gave a feed back on this issues to the church or our legal Representative.
“5. The punch newspaper online in the course of their story also stated and alleged that nafdac wishes to alert the general public on the activities of the church and the chuch uses nafdac name to deceive unsuspecting public, we wish to state that at no point our Church has ever deceived or dishonestly deceive any members of the general public, all the church has done in the entirety of this issue is the church right to expression of religion through the use of spiritual items, the church has never even produce or sell to members of the public, consumable items in this regard.
“6. We also wish to state that Senior Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin of Christ Mercy Land Ministry has never used nafdac name as an agency to deceive innocent members of the public, such claims and story being peddled by punch newspaper is purely unfounded in facts and narratives.
“7. Also Contrary to punch newspaper online news making the rounds, we also wish to state that the head of administration of Christ mercyland deliverance Ministry through the head of administration in Elder Oguluoa Fufeyin, a contractor to the church in conjunction with globod table water, our legal representatives and others actually honoured the invitation of nafdac on Thursday 2nd September 2024 in this regard at there Asaba headquater office.
Where the Church representatives statement were taken under caution and the church representatives cooperated with the officers and subordinates of DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN CHARGE INVESTIGATION &ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE/FEDERAl TASKFORCE ON COUNTERFEIT AND FAKE DRUGS AND UNWHOLESOME PROCESSED FOOD(DELTA STATE NAFDAC) located in PLOT 114 AIRPORT ROAD, OPPOSITE NUT ESTATE, ASABA,DELTA STATE, who are investigating this matter on behalf of nafdac and the church representatives were then released and asked to report on 10th September 2024, for further investigation in this matter, we are however surprised that punch newspaper and online news could report in the purported news that the church or its representative are not cooperating with nafdac for an extensive investigation on this matter in this regard as evidenced in there false news paper online report.
“8. We don’t intend to join issues with governmental agency like nafdac in this regard, as investigation are still ongoing in this matter, but we urge nafdac and punch newspaper and mobile online from making statements to show they are on vindictive mission, prosecution of the Church and its representative in this regard.
“9. We are by this press release also stating that we are entirely disappointed in punch newspaper and online platform as against the ethics of journalism without hearing the Church side of the story, they have indeed gone to the general public with wrong narrative with the church issues with nafdac in this regard. At the right time, we shall respond to them legally in this regard.
“10. We are also urging members of the public to disregard this story by punch as same story by punch newspaper is simply unfounded and investigation by nafdac on Church activities is still ongoing on this matter in this regard.
“11. We also wish to state that Church several issues with Nafdac are matters of privileges and we don’t intend to undermine the investigation in this case, by joining issues with punch newspaper on different and sundry allegations raised in there story.
We also wish to state that our Church evidences on miracle claims are founded and same abound of several miracles and healings that took place in the church premises and other venues, as same constitute demonstration of the church right to freedom of religion and biblical injunctions in the holy bible.
“12. We also wish to state that there are other spiritual items being given to the Church members, partners, friends ,visitors of the church in line with constitutional right to freedom of Religion which are not subject to nafdac regulation and mandate in this regard in line with the nafdac act. So hence the publication by punch newspaper and online news that the public is also being advised to stop patronizing and using any of the church miracle products is simply bad journalism, vendetta and prosecution by punch newspaper online with same attributed to Nafdac in all regard.
13. Finally as a Church, we stand committed to true Christianity and the guiding principles of our Right to freedom of religion and worship. We shall not be deterred by the latest onslaught by anyone to stop and interfere with our right to worship our lord Jesus Christ in any manner.
We urge the members of the public to disregard this punch newspaper and online story on our church in this regard, as we shall also liaise and officially communicate with Nafdac on all surrounding issues by Punch newspaper on this unfounded story, with a view to ascertaining and investigating same. Thank you all and May the good lord bless you.”
The statement was signed by Sophia Lloyd of Mercy Land Television on behalf of Christ Mercy Land Deliverance Ministry.
