Obinim Fans Invade CID

By Richard Kofi Attenkah
Hundreds, if not thousands of supporters of the embattled head pastor of the International God's Way Church, Bishop Daniel Obinim yesterday morning congregated at the National Headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to demand his release from police custody.

As early as 6am, members of the church had started arriving at the CID headquarters onboard buses belonging to the church and others in their privately owned vehicles.

As their numbers continued to swell, their handling became a herculean task for the police, who consequently, resorted to the use of water cans to disperse the crowd before they were able to create space at the Police Headquarters.

Obinim's followers started running helter-skelter for their dear lives, as the police continued to ensure their disappearance from the premises.

The irritated supporters, according to an eye witness account, were initially violent towards members of the press, who stormed the place to cover the breaking news for their respective media houses.

Sections of the supporters of Bishop Obinim, who is one of the most popular pastors in the country and undoubtedly the most controversial, issued warnings and threatened to deal ruthlessly with any journalist found taking pictures of their bishop.

Some media personnel, who came under attack from sections of the church members, who had well built bodies like macho men told The Chronicle that they were threatened by some of the supporters of the man, known as the 'Angel of God'.

The Chronicle learnt that the supporters initially converged at the Nima Divisional Police Station, where their ubiquitous leader spent the night of Tuesday, after he was whisked away from the Tema Regional Police Command, to engage in an intercessory prayer for Obinim.

The Police Public Relations Officers at the CID Headquarters refused to talk to the press, saying that investigation into the case was still ongoing.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Joseph Benefo Darkwah, head of the CID Public Relations Department, told reporters that the Service would hold a press conference after investigations have been completed to brief the media.

The Chronicle sources at the Police Headquarters debunked speculations in the media that the man of God was this morning sent to court to get a remand for him, to enable the police continue with their investigations.

Bishop Obinim on Tuesday afternoon responded to an invitation by the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Tema Regional Police Command of over his alleged assault of two children who are staying with him.

This follows a complaint of assault filed by Mrs. Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender and Social Protection to the Tema DOVVSU, after video of Bishop Obinim, whipping teenage members of his church for fornicating went viral.

The Tema office of the DOVVSU gave the 'Angel of God' a 24-hour ultimatum to honour their invitation or they will be forced to take action against him.

Obinim, upon arriving at the Tema Regional Police Headquarters, visited the regional commander. He later went into the offices of DOVVSU and had a meeting with them.

But later, the man of God and the pastor in charge of his branch at Tema, described as an accomplice, were whisked away in a waiting Pick Up vehicle and transported to the CID headquarters in Accra where the case has been transferred to.