Pastor Arrested For Defrauding Church Members

The G.O of the Sufficient Grace Church, Pastor Okechukwu Joseph, has been arrested by operatives of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB), Lagos State Police Command, for defrauding members of his church huge sums of money. .

According to a police source, the Pastor allegedly approached some members of his church with the pretence that he needed money to repair his car among other projects with a promise to pay back as soon as possible as he was expecting money from undisclosed sources. .

The source further disclosed that once he collects any money from a victim he starts giving flimsy excuses until the victim gets tired, adding that most of his victims are women who do daily contribution (ajo) business. .

However, his obtaining money by false pretence came to the fore after defrauding two women who do daily contribution business, huge sums of money. It was gathered that he had been making empty promises of paying back for about eight years. .

Explaining his involvement in the offence the suspect Joseph said: “I am married with two children. I am from Okwe Oboro, Umuahia, Abia State. I know the complainant Miss Bridget Nwankwo as a member of my church. I had no misunderstanding with her. .

What really happened is that I collected N308,000 from her to do some reconstruction work in my church where we were before I relocated, due to circumstances beyond my control. .

I paid her N100,000. I was not able to pay the remaining N208,000, because money was not coming to me as before. She later reported me to SIB. The church I am pastoring is a growing church. .

If you look at my body physique you will think that I have money. I had problems and that was why I had no money to pay her. I had a very serious financial problem.”

Crdt: TheNation