DETECTIVES from the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja are investigating allegations of fraud and obtaining by false pretence made against a popular pastor, Chris Okafor, by a businessman, Omolayo Ibukun Michael.
This followed a strongly-worded petition sent to the commissioner of Police by Michael alleging that Okafor, Founder of Grace Nation Church, with headquarters in Ojodu Berger area of the state, fraudulently obtained the sum of N106, 178, 000 and two of his vehicles by false pretence.
Giving a detailed account of how the incident happened, Michael said as the Managing Director of Blessed Energy Resources Limited, he was introduced to the pastor by one of his friends called Ayobami, now late, in 2021, and the pastor, who claimed to be a man of God, brainwashed him with fake miracles and asked him to supply 42,000 liters of diesel valued N50million.
“After that, he refused to pay me a dime up to this moment and he also brainwashed me by collecting my two vehicles, one Mercedes Benz M-Class, with registration No. KRD 575 HH, black in colour, and Mercedes Benz ML350, with registration No. KTU 546 HE, black in colour, all valued at N30million.
“I also transferred the sum of N14.378million into his Zenith account number 1002770081 and Ecobank account number 3302012345, and the sum of N11,800million in cash.”
The petitioner, who claimed he was attracted to the pastor because the Lagos State Government was owing him a huge amount for contract he had executed; hence his resort to prayers, also alleged that the cleric warned him not to reveal the deal to any other person and that if he did, it would be the end of his life.
“To my utmost surprise, a woman, Bose Olasukanmi, used by the pastor for fake miracles to deceive me, was arrested by the Police. It was then I realised that I had been duped by the pastor and all efforts made for him to return my vehicles and pay my money proved abortive.”
The businessman, who said he was in the Protocol Department in the church, further alleged that the pastor also threatened his life, warning him to stop demanding the return of his vehicles and refund of his money.
A Police source said one of the vehicles had been recovered from the person the pastor sold it to, while frantic efforts were being made to recover the second vehicle.
The source, however, said all efforts to invite the pastor failed, as he only sent a legal representative to deny all allegations against him.
But the church, in a statement signed its spokesman, Henry Okoduwa, vehemently denied all the allegations against its founder, saying the cars in question were voluntarily offered by the complainant, who joyfully presented them as offerings to God during a service broadcast live three years ago, while all financial transactions with him had been settled.
