Three pastors and one member of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN) were accused of spying on the premises of the state Police command and spreading the photos to foreign partners.
In a brief hearing, at the Justice Mahmud Mohammed National industrial/Magistrate court Jalingo, Magistrate Bartholome Vakkai Kaigama, said the accused: Rev. Ande Emmanuel, Rev. Ignatius Jesse, Pastor Ahmed A. Ahmed and Mr. Nicodemus Heman be remanded in the National Correctional Center, until Thursday 24th June 2021 to allow the court thorough investigation before judgement.
The Judge in his ruling refused the accused bail stating that the court would like to study the content of the case because of its sensitivity since it bothers on state security.
The leadership of the church has protested against police claims that the clergymen are working for foreign partners.
The clergymen who protested the detention of their colleagues at the state high court premises accusing the police of conniving with a certain bishop to punish his perceived enemies.
On his part, the spokesman of Taraba State Police Command, Mr. David Misal said the Clerics were booked for secretly taking photographs of police properties, the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) and other sensitive locations.
He said their actions contravene the provision of the official Secret Act of the Nigerian Police and as such were sued for prosecution.
He added that the police have no control over the legal proceedings of the court and cannot reverse the decisions of the court.