Christ Mercyland refutes media reports on engagement with NAFDAC

By Abubakar Yunusa

Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry, through its media department at Mercy Television, has issued a formal response to an article on the church engagement with National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The church in a statement signed by Sophia Lloyd said an article published by Punch Newspaper on September 8th, 2024 titled “NAFDAC Investigating Pastor Jeremiah’s Miracle Water, Soap – DG,” attributed statements to the NAFDAC was misleading.

In its statement, the ministry expressed shock over the publication, emphasizing that it does not reflect the true nature of its interactions with NAFDAC.

Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to operating within the laws of Nigeria, especially the NAFDAC Act, and reiterated its adherence to the constitutional rights of freedom of religion as enshrined in Sections 38 and 39 of Nigeria’s Constitution.

The ministry clarified that the only ongoing issue with NAFDAC stemmed from a petition filed by one Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, also known as Verydarkblackman, who had allegedly used forged church receipts in a complaint submitted to NAFDAC’s Asaba office.

The church responded to an invitation from NAFDAC on August 27th, 2024, despite being given less than 12 hours’ notice. The ministry provided necessary documentation and noted that the receipts presented by Mr. Otse differed from the authentic ones issued by the church, a fact being investigated by the police.

The ministry also criticized Punch Newspaper for failing to contact it for a response, describing the reporting as “bad journalism” and accusing the outlet of a “vindictive mission” against the church.

Additionally, the ministry refuted claims that it misuses NAFDAC’s name to mislead the public, stressing that Senior Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin, the ministry’s spiritual leader, has never engaged in such practices.

The ministry stated that representatives, including the Head of Administration, Elder Oguluoa Fufeyin, had fully cooperated with NAFDAC during a meeting at their Asaba headquarters on September 2nd, 2024.

The ministry urged the public to disregard the Punch article, reminding them that NAFDAC’s investigation is still ongoing. It assured its members and the public that it would continue to cooperate with authorities while pursuing legal action against false accusations.