The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oristejafor, yesterday broke his silence over the controversial $9.3 million seized by South African authorities in his private jet.
The South African authorities, it would be recalled, seized $9.3 million from two Nigerians and an Israeli national who flew into the country with a jet belonging to Oritsejafor.
The CAN boss who spoke at an emergency meeting of the expanded National Executive Council, NEC, of CAN in Abuja said, “I will not do anything to tarnish the image of Jesus Christ.”
He explained that he leased the jet in “order to ameliorate the cost of maintenance of the aircraft.”
“So far, I have refrained from making any direct public response pending the time I will brief the leaders of the church and explain my position on the issue to them. I believe that the primary institution that I owe any explanation to is the church. I thank everyone who has stood by me these past days even though I have not undertaken any public defence of myself.