Friday, December 8, 2017

Christ Embassy loses bid to halt registration over name similarity

Court

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday dismissed a suit filed by Believers Loveworld, also known as Christ Embassy, for lacking in merit. 

The church, superintended by flamboyant tele-evangelist, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, had filed the action against the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and its Registrar General for seeking to register another entity that has the name, ‘Christ Embassy Friends and Partners.’ 

The church had argued that the name is part of its registered name and as such, is capable of misleading and deceiving innocent Nigerians and general public. 

The trial Judge, Justice Ayotunde Faji, also awarded cost of N100, 000, against Christ Embassy and Incorporated Trustees of Christ Embassy Church International, who was the second plaintiff in the suit. 

The church also urged the court to declare that registration of the club name, ‘Christ Embassy Friends and Partners,’ is unlawful, null and void and contravenes the provisions of Sections 30 and 594 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2004. 

The plaintiffs, therefore, sought for an order of perpetual injunction restraining CAC and its Registrar General from registering the name, ‘Christ Embassy Friends and Partners’ and also asked for N1.5 million, being the cost of instituting the action. 

The plaintiffs, in their statement of claim, stated that they are well known to Nigerians and the world at large, in its alias as ‘Christ Embassy’, adding that the activities and programmes of Christ Embassy are not hidden, as they are widely publicised on media and Internet. 

They also stated that the persons who wish to register ‘Christ Embassy Friends and Partners’ have no relationship whatsoever with them and do not have authority or consent of the church to register the name, adding that the name, ‘Christ ‘Embassy Friends and Partners,’ is a name so identical and similar to the name, Christ Embassy, and capable of misleading and deceiving innocent Nigerians.

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