Chris Okafor’s Lawyer Responds to Arrest Reports Over Businessman’s Death

Chris Okafor, who started Grace Nation International Church, has spoken out through his lawyer about reports of a cleric's arrest linked to the death of a Nigerian businessman in Germany.

The issue began when police arrested Mr Okafor's in-laws, Justin Iwerebor and his wife, Anthonia. They were taken by the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department to question them about the death of Solomon Iwerebor, Justin’s brother.

Solomon died in September after visiting Nigeria and staying with his parents. His family complained to the police, saying they were not given enough information about his sickness, the hospital he went to, or where his body was kept.

The family also believes that Mr Okafor and his wife, Pearl, may have important details about Solomon's health before he died. They mentioned that Solomon attended the cleric's church and sought help there. They have called for an autopsy and a thorough investigation. So far, there is no proof that the pastor did anything wrong in connection with Solomon's death.

In response to reports about the investigation and claims that Mr Okafor was arrested, his lawyer, Ife Ajayi, called the reports “incriminating” and “embarrassing.”

Mr Ajayi also said that his client might take legal action against anyone linking him to the businessman’s death. He stated, “We are carefully observing 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.”

He added, “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 denied any connection between Mr Okafor and the deceased businessman. He said the only link was that the cleric married into the family. He explained that the businessman had been ill long before Mr Okafor married into that family.

“The deceased does not attend his church and never had any special interaction with Dr Chris except the fact that he was married into the family. He had been ill for a long time before Dr Chris even thought of marrying into that family. It’s disappointing how you see some part of the family trying to drag Dr Chris into this matter.”

Mr Ajayi stressed that the church had nothing to do with the situation. He said, “Dr Chris has not been summoned; no inquiry or police investigation establishes a link between Dr Chris and whatever situation the man was going through or facing before his demise.”

He explained that the disagreement was a family issue involving Mr Okafor’s in-laws and other family members. He ruled out any connection to the cleric or his church.

He gave details about the situation, saying, “There is a young man called Mr Solomon, who is related to the in-laws of Dr Chris. This young man had been struggling with an illness for about eight to nine years. He tried different medical treatments in Nigeria, Germany, and Ghana, where he was running his business.”

“When he became very ill and needed hospice care, he was advised to consider traditional medical help because of the seriousness of his illness. He had been facing this illness and had disputes with his immediate family long before Dr Chris met his wife.”

Mr Ajayi added that the family was arguing over where to bury the late businessman. Some family members wanted him buried in his village, while others wanted him buried in Lagos, as he had stated before he died.

“This disagreement led to one part of the family taking the other to court to make sure he was buried where they wanted him to be. The police, looking at the situation, called for questioning. They questioned the other side of the in-law. After hearing their side, the investigation continued. The initial police report shows that this man died of natural causes. There has been no foul play. But the other side is using this issue to settle an internal family feud. That is the best I can share with you for now.