Celestial Church Prophet Remanded in Prison Over N70m Fraud

Ladipo Sanusi/

A prophet of the Celestial Church of Christ has been remanded in prison for fraud.

Prophet Oladele Olufemi Ayoola was arraigned by the police today on a five-count amended charge bordering on fraud, stealing, impersonation, forgery and false accusation.

The 45 years old cleric, whose church is located at Oke-Ira, Ogba, Lagos State, was sent to the remand facility by Justice AbdulAziz Anka of a Federal High Court, Lagos, on Monday.

In the charge marked FHC/L/234c/2017, police alleged that the accused had between 2008 and 2016, pretended to be a spiritualist and soothsayer capable preventing all types of spiritual and physical attacks.

The prosecution further alleged that the cleric, who carried out his heinous acts in Lagos, Ogun and Ekiti States, fraudulently obtained N70 million from Abbey N Becky Enterprise and Nichole Integrated Investment Limited.

The companies are owned by a couple, Peter Omokaro and Catherine N. Omokaro.

The police alleged that the cleric defrauded the two firms through his accounts numbered: 2055838342 and 2060863319 domiciled with United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc.

He was also accused of forging the identity cards of the two firms, which he used in claiming to be a staff and to also make false accusations against one of the fraud victims, Peter Omokaro.

The offences according to the police are contrary to and punishable under section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related Offences, 2004, and Sections 390(9), 467(2)(b), 448 and 210(b) of the Criminal Code Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, (as amended).

The cleric, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Anka, ordered that he should be remanded in Ikoyi Prisons till August 17, when his bail application will be heard.

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