Celestial Church of Christ, shepherd, James Godwin Aso has been cleared of murder allegations after he was accused of the death of a laborer popularly known as ‘Dongo’ in Ajah last year.
The popular shepherd was accused of the murder of a community laborer who resided close to the church, CCC Overcomers, died while evacuating Soakaway a few days to the Celestial Juvenile Harvest.
The false allegation left the church’s shepherd Aso and other members in critical condition. The irate mob also set fire to the church building after vandalizing it and looting its property worth over N50 million.
Some bloggers were too authoritative in establishing false reports, circulating unconfirmed videos all over social media claiming the former CCC DMC shepherd had killed ‘Dongo’ and removed some of his parts for rituals.
However, Aso escaped death after being rescued by some police officers who came around for an investigation.
Despite various sources of lies and conspiracy over the white garment church, after confirmation from police that the accident was not due to rituals, it has been circulated that no part of the deceased was missing. Aso has been cleared of murder according to autopsy reports gathered by The PAPERS.
The PAPERS also revealed that it was not the description of the Shepherd or the church engaging the laborer at midnight as it had also been mischievously circulated to dent the image of the church and the Shepherd.
Aso spent several months in different hospitals before recovering from such a horror incident in Ajah, Lagos.
While the shepherd was undergoing treatments, some influential Celestial Church shepherds had vouched for his personality, notably Prophet Gabriel Evans of CCC City of David, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The charismatic prophet who recently ministered at CCC Liberation parish, Lagos, described James Aso as a worthy Shepherd having known him over 25 years ago in Asapa London. And over time has demonstrated the habit of a good servant of God.
Evans said: “I have known Shepherd Aso over 25 years ago in Asapa London, I know him as a trustworthy fellow, responsible and dedicated to the work of God, he’s a good guy, I used the word good guy because when we started young together he was a wonderful person. And I believe and I can testify that Aso is a straightforward person, of course, there could be negligence in the fact of what happened. Still, for some people to come and say Aso is ritualist, Celestial Church is a ritualist is an insult to the body of Christ.”
Another minister based overseas speaks.
“Shepherd Aso is a popular Shepherd in Ajah, Lekki axis, he left the biggest Celestial Church, DMC parish in Ajah to his church, Overcomer parish, he’s well known and generous, he’s Shepherd with high intelligence and he’s one of the most respected Celestial Shepherd. What happened was an accident not ritual as it has been circulated, those people making mischievous videos are earning for their social media account, they want to eat, and such controversy is their joy,” a close ally to Shepherd James Aso, Evangelist Gabriel Olaonipekun.
Aso, whom his eminent former CCC Worldwide pastor trained, Alexander Abiodun Adebayo Bada (of blessed memory), enjoyed good gestures from Celestial Worldwide under the leadership of Reverend pastor Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, to stand up for his call and ensure his innocence over the murderer allegation was proved.
Superior Evangelist Kayode Ajala, the CCC spokesperson was diligently on top of his duty, ensuring day-to-day updates were carried out accordingly to disperse the circulated fake news on the church’s image.
Ajala, a seasoned journalist was captured with some representatives of the CCC pastor at Panti to give a live broadcast from the police headquarters to keep the faith of Celestia members that Aso was never a ritualist and what happened to ‘Dongo’ was an accident.
A source from Ajah where the incident happened spoke anonymously that the labourer could have drunk alcohol before attempting the soakaway exercise as a normal way of executing such duties in most cases.
A copy of the autopsy result was leaked to The PAPERS and emphatically interpreted that no part of the deceased was missing with any form of harm led to his death. More details of the result will be published with full text.
In an exclusive interview with James Aso, he said God has vindicated him from those who believe so much in evil, and his tribulation time has ended with praise.
A member of Celestial church at Imeko confirmed that those bloggers had made several efforts to reach out to CCC pastor, Mobiyina Oshoffa to apologize and settle the matter quietly, but their efforts proved abortive on many attempts, as a result, they are at large for now.
Recounting her ordeal during the attack, James Aso’s wife, Mother Celestial Fumilayo Aso said God has indeed vindicated her family and expressed gratitude to God for standing by Aso in his trying time.
She recalled: “Immediately, we heard they were coming to the secretary’s house where we hid, I told him to let us flee to avoid any attack but he refused, he told me and the other members to run for our lives and allowed him to meet the angry Hausa boys and speak the language to them if that could down the tension. I was begging him to run, but Aso believed it was not right for him to do that as a leader, and that was how he was attacked brutally but today I thank God for proving himself, it could have been another story by now.”
Mrs. Aso James revealed that the deceased, Dogo, was a known face in the church.
