Anti graft agency nabs Nigerian pastor for defrauding church member

Zonal command of Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, in Ilorin, on Saturday, said it is now ready to arraign  a man, Adeniyi Abiodun James.

He claims to be prophet and General Overseer of CAC Freedom City Prophetic and Deliverance Ministry in Ilorin.

But EFCC insists that he defrauded a member of his church, Oluwole Babarinsa, of N3,980,000 ($3, 300) and is under arrest to be charged to court.

According to the victim’s petition to the Commission, Prophet James had called him out during a church program in 2021 claiming to have had a revelation that the victim would travel abroad.

The victim stated that the cleric asked him about his preferred country, to which he replied “Canada.”

They cleric then allegedly made an agreement to discuss further arrangements for the trip later.

The victim claimed that the prophet later informed him that he had a friend in Lagos who could assist with the relocation to Canada, but it would cost N1.7 million for facilitation and N2.5 million for processing flight tickets and travel documents.

The ‘Prophet’ while in EFCC custody

The victim disclosed that he had to sell some of his properties and take out loans to raise the N3,980,000, which he gave to the prophet for the supposed relocation assistance.

After waiting for a prolonged period without any progress, the victim became concerned and began to question the legitimacy of the prophet’s vision. He requested a refund of his money, but his efforts to obtain a refund were unsuccessful.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned in court once investigations are concluded. This information was provided by Dele Oyewale, the Head of Media & Publicity, on April 6, 2024, at 3:18 PM.

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