Two men identified as Ezekiel Akinniyi, 63, and Wale Oguntade were arraigned on Friday before the Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, on charges preferred against them by the Nigeria Police Force.
The charges include conspiracy and unlawful threat to life.
Presenting the facts before the court, Inspector Kehinde Olarotimi said Akinniyi and Oguntade, along with other accomplices still at large, took the law into their own hands during a church service.
They were accused of locking the main gate of the church premises, trapping congregants inside while services were ongoing.
They allegedly specifically threatened to kill two clerics — Pastor Michael Ajayi and Pastor Daramola — along with other unnamed members of the congregation.
The defendants and their fleeing accomplices were said to have vowed to “unleash terror” on the worshippers.
Inspector Olarotimi argued that the actions of the defendants were not a minor squabble but a premeditated criminal act that contravened the laws of Oyo State.
He stated that the offences were punishable under Sections 86 (unlawful threat to life) and 516 (criminal conspiracy) of the Criminal Law of Oyo State, 2000 .
Both Akinniyi and Oguntade pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Adebola Adeola, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 each, with two sureties each in a like sum.
The magistrate stipulated that the sureties must be verified and approved by the court.
The case has been adjourned until February 16, 2026, for a substantive hearing.
