One David Oshoffa, a pastor, has been remanded at the Kirikiri Correction Centre over the death of two siblings who were seeking spiritual deliverance.

A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos State, remanded the cleric for allegedly poisoning two siblings, Michael and Mahoklo Agbah, to death around the Seme Border, in the Badagry area of the state.

Oshoffa is a cleric of the Celestial Church of Christ, Alpha and Omega, Ashipa Parish. Magistrate Patrick Nwaka ordered his remand on Wednesday.

He was arraigned on three counts bordering on murder.

The siblings were taken to the cleric’s parish for spiritual deliverance when he alongside two fleeing accomplices allegedly poisoned them.

According to the prosecutor, Thomas Nurudeen, the defendant prepare the concoction using deadly chemicals which he knew were harmful to the children and gave them to drink in the name of dispossessing them of an evil spirit.

Nurudeen told the court that Oshoffa committed the offence on June 18, 2023, at his church’s premises, adding that the offence contravened Section 222 and was punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The charge read in part, “That you, David Oshoffa, and two others at large, on June 18, 2023, at Celestial Church of Christ, Alpha and Omega, Ashipa Parish 4, Seme Border, Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill one Michael Agba, 12, Mahoklo Agbah, 8, by poisoning them with a concoction containing black soap and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 222 and punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”

Meanwhile, the defendant’s plea was not taken in court.

The prosecutor asked the court to remand the defendant pending the outcome of the legal advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

Granting the prosecutor’s request, Nwaka ordered the remand of the defendant to the Kirikiri Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till August 4, 2023