A Lagos-based prophet, Cletus Ilongwo, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment defrauding a member of his church of N59.7 million.
The suspected fraudster was sentenced by an Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos.
The Informant247 gathered that the suspected fraudster was the Presiding Pastor of the Power of the Holy Ghost Evangelical Ministry.
He was found guilty of seven counts charges which border on fraud and stealing.
Justice Sherifat Solebo, while delivering judgment, directed the forfeiture of the property of the convict’ located at No. 3 Popoola Ajayi St., Diamond Estate in Amuwo Odofin, to the complainant.
“His Toyota Prado is also to be forfeited to the Federal Government as restitution to settle the complainant,” Solebo said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that the convict on January 29, 2016, defrauded an ex member of his church, one Mr Obinna Ezenwaka.
The counsel of the EFCC, Nwandu Ukoha, informed the court that the suspected fraudster received the sum in tranches via his Zenith Bank account 1003455899.
The counsel revealed that the convict collected the money from Ezenwaka on different occasions in 2016 on the ground of assisting him to buy a property situated at 165c Diamond Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
Mr Albert Imolodia, the counsel of the defence while reacting to incident, told the court that the convict was a first-time offender.
“He is a family man who has people that rely on him for their survival. We pray the court to temper justice with mercy,” Imolodia said.
The counsel of the EFCC, however, implored the court to sentence the convict in accordance with the postulation of the law and a restitution order in accordance with the Advance Fee Fraud Act.
The convict was reported to have selfishly converted for his personal interest the sum of money, being money collected via his Zenith Bank account number 1003495899 from the complainant, which was supposed to be used to buy the property located at No 165c, Block 12, Diamond Estate, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos.