Dubious “prayer warriors” make million fleecing  Nigerians.

By Patience Ogbo

Prayer is the master key to unlock financial breakthrough and protection from evil forces the Good Book says .

Nigerians like other Africans are religious and turning to prayer houses for solution to virtually every problem is a common practice.

Solution providers through ceaseless prayers to cure a delay marriage, child birth, joblessness, protection from seen and unseen forces among other societal challenges have created a society where help from prayer ministries has become a culture – this  has led to setting up  churches at every nook and corner of the country with some streets having rolls of churches blaring preaching from loud speakers just o outdo the others , this has given rise to  streets  called church streets .

Sadly, this  growing trend of seeking spiritual breakthrough from pastors and imam had turned Nigerians into victims of the very situation they are seeking prayers to conquer.

 Our  Investigations  show  dubious persons  are taking advantage of this yearning  for breakthrough to deceive and defraud prayer seekers.

This was the case last month, when police men attached to  the Ogun State police command  on a manhunt for a suspected armed robber   who  allegedly attacked    a banker in his home at Agbara area of the state  and made away with the victim’s  N3.7million.

The police succeeded in their investigations as they arrested a young man in connection with  the crime.

 The victim was  however  shocked  when the police revealed  the suspected armed robber  who attacked him  was   pastor Ndubisbi  Ignesius , whom the victim and his family patronize for prayers.

Following his arrest, the pastor confessed he lied to the banker that the banker  was in danger and should begin a series of prayer . 

The banker unaware of the pastor’s evil intent obeyed the instruction that he should stay at home and pray against unforeseen evil.

 When the banker was in his house alone praying, the same pastor Ndubisi who told him to stay at home to pray, allegedly dressed up, wore a mask and went into the banker’s house with a cutlass and a gun and demanded for N15million.

Narrating how he concocted the plan to rob the banker, the pastor Ndubisi  said

“ I have a family friend who had been helping me in school but I was in need of money so I attacked him in his house at Agbara estate in  Ogun state. Yes I attacked him and it was a terrible thing I did . I am a student. I attended a seminary in Enugu state and I pray for people. I got to know the banker one Mr. Nwosu through a family friend and I have been praying for him and his family for about 2 years now. I reside I Enugu but I go from place to place praying for people. The banker had a challenge then and after I prayed for him, he got victory and since then I have been praying for him I have known him for two years

Sometimes last month, I had problem in school.  I needed some money for my school but the devil came to my mind and I decided to deceive the banker so I can get some money to solve my school problem . I know I should have approached him for financial assistance but I don’t ask people for money after I pray for them. I lied to the banker that I saw a vision and he was in danger. I told him to send his family away so he can be alone to pray. I called him back again to ask everybody in his premises to leave that he needed to be alone for the prayer session. All this while I was close to his house in Agbara Estate watching all his movement   but I lied to him that I was in Enugu. When I saw that he was alone in the house, I asked him to put salt in water and sprinkle the rooms and everywhere in his premises. When I saw that he had gone upstairs to sprinkle the room , I sneaked into the premises and hide myself . All this while, I was talking with him on the phone and when he was not noticing, I sneaked into his bedroom. I was wearing a mask. I told him to lit different candles in his living room and he started praying. I stormed out from where I was hiding in the room and held him at gun point; I told him to bring N15million. I threatened him that he should not try to be smart that our master is watching whatever he was doing and he should cooperate. The man told me that he cannot get N15million but can get me N3million. He called a banker to bring N3million to his house. When the lady came with the cash, he went downstairs and collected the money from her and sent her away. I collected the money from him . I told him to bring another N1.5million   but he told me he cannot get the money from his bank again but he can get the money from  a friend . I forced him to enter the car and we drove down to Okokomaiko area in Lagos state .The friend came and gave him N700, 000. He gave me the money and I jumped out of the car with the N3.7million”.

The Ogun state commissioner of police Ikemefuna  Okoye  said  the suspect was arrested following a petition by the banker .

The CP added that the suspect made away with the banker’s phones but he was later arrested  and investigation revealed he was the brain behind the attack on the banker .

“ Our investigations revealed  that the suspect is the same man  the victim was engaging  to pray for him and his family . The victim went through harrowing experience in the hands of the so called pastor but he was later arrested and he confessed to the crime.

 While many Nigerians believe in the efficacy of prayers;  the worsening economy  ,bad leadership had led many to turn to “men of God” for financial breakthrough and other sundry needs . The result of this growing demand for a better life  which susceptive  government have not been able to meet citizens’ need, unscrupulous persons have taken advantage of this need to set up fake prayer ministries  which they use to fleece members of the public the police said

As more citizens fall victims to this prank, the police authority warn members of the public to be wary of “men of God”

   Tunde Ogunsakin, the Rivers State Commissioner of police,  in a press released in February, advised members of the public to report cases of unscrupulous pastors to the command .

This advise followed the arrest of three pastors for alleged fraud.

 CP Ogunsaki  said “These fraudsters, masquerading themselves as prophets, are on the loose and prey on the gullible members of the public through the use of false prophesy and divine pronouncements,”

 Mr. ogunsakin said the pastors were arrested following a petition by one Mr. Umejiego ,a Director of a private organisation who was lured into a false scheme through his wife by the pastor of the  Church named “Favour Anointing Ministry, located at  7A Ojoto Lane Mile 3,Diobu, Port Harcourt  allegedly operated by one Prophet Victory Ibe.

 “Ibe confessed to be a perpetual dupe and that he has always had in his possession a pro-forma change of ownership which he used to make people part with their properties.  Mr. Ibe tricked Mr. Umejiogo to part with his Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep to “sow as seed” into Mr. Ibe’s life.He (Ibe) thereafter produced a change of ownership which he promptly got signed by the unsuspecting victim who immediately handed over the original documents to him(Ibe) together with the vehicle ” Mr. Ogunsakin said.
 Ogunsakin stated that the alleged fake pastors were arrested after Mr. Ibe was involved in an accident with the car.

While the Rivers State police command was busy tackling the growing cases involving pastors and their accomplices, the Delta State police command was thrown into shock after investigations revealed that a pastor connived with a house wife to kill her husband .

Pastor Udoka Nkauckukwu had been having amorous relation with one of his member’s wife  Mrs Enegbong Isonguyo.

The secret lovers however could no longer stand Mrs Enegbong’s hushand and they decided to kill the man.

The victim one Mr. Victor Gabriel Isonguyo a senior staff with the NPDC was lured to the Sapele road in Delta  state where the pastor allegedly hack him to death and burnt the corpse in the deceased car.

The pastor thought he had concealed his crime but the police received information declaring the victim missing and after a thorough investigation, it was revealed  the victim’s wife connived with the pastor to kill her  husband so she  can continue her  amorous relation with the pastor without any hindrance .

The Delta State commissioner of police while narrating how the suspects killed the victim said “ on September 2^nd 2013, one Mrs Enegbong Victor reported her husband one Victor  Gabriel Isongyogu a staff of NPDC missing . The reported missing man was however found burnt in his private vehicle along the Sapele Road the following day. Investigation later revealed that the woman who reported her husband missing, gave the husband’s official car, a Volkwagen Passat car to a pastor from whom the vehicle was recovered . Also, the original vehicle registration plate number was changed and replaced with another fake number . the  pastor  one prince Udoka Nkauchukwu confessed to be a secret lover of the deceased’s  wife and that both of them planned to kill the deceased”

Also , last year, the police in Lagos state  re-arrested a clergyman, Reverend Praise Mac Bassey of the Church of Destiny located at Ajao Estate in Lagos State f ollowing a petition from a business woman that pastor Bassey  obtained the sum of N3million from her under false pretense.

The woman said she wrote a petition to the IGP after all her effort to recover the money she allegedly gave pastor Bassey to help her buy a car  proved abortive as pastor Bassey had used the money to buy a car for himself.

 ”I met Reverend Praise Bassey through another pastor who is a friend of my family. The pastor friend was in Akwa Ibom state for a crusade and he decided to visit us. He came with Reverend  Bassey to our house in 2010. A taxi drove me into our premises but when I greeted Reverend Bassey, he told me I was not supposed to be driving in taxi. He told me he is based in Korea and he can help me get an affordable clean car.

“I was reluctant but he called me on the phone after he went back to Lagos. I later told him I would want him to buy a IX35 Hyundai. I paid N3 million into his Zenith Bank account in December 2012  for the car. He assured me I will get the car in two months after the payment but strangely after two months he  did not bring the car.

“He then told me he will return my money. I had to inform the police when I realised he was fraudulent as  he told me that I have sown the N3 million into his ministry and I should not ask for the money again. He said he had prayed to God to bless me with more riches. I was shocked and afraid that a pastor could lie and covet.”

The IGP referred the matter to the Lagos State police command based on the evidence that the cash was paid in Lagos State. Officers in the State Criminal Investigation Department Panti Yaba were detailed to handle the matter and they arrested Bassey last year.

Following his arrest, Bassey told police that the woman was being mischievous as she sown a seed of N3 million  into his ministry. He further  added that the money was his reward for praying for the woman to get a contract and that he gave a part of the money to pastor TD Jakes of America .

At some point, he also stated that the woman gave him the money as a payment so he can marry her.

The police initially granted Bassey bail but he jumped bail and petitioned the IGP,the AIG Zone 2  and  the CP that he was being falsely accused.

A police source added that Bassey was rearrested on July 9, 2013 based on a warrant following an order from the AIG Zone 2 but he has turned the cell in Panti into a church, singing and praying loudly.

The police source stated that Bassey bought a Toyota Sequoia for himself two days after the woman paid the money into his account.

“He used  his three bedroom apartment at 5 Gani Dabiri street Ajao Estate  as his church with about  fifteen members. He refunded N1.2 million but all efforts to get him to refund the remaining money  has been futile. The police has since charged pastor Bassey to court.

Also ,last year, the State Security Service , arrested one  Pastor Godson Akubiro of the Breaththrough Ministry at Ikorodu with  his six children over allegation that the pastor was allegedly behind a money counterfielting  syndicate in the country.

The SSS officlas stormed pastor Akubiro’s house in a commando style and arrested him and his country but residents were shocked at the arrests as they claimed the pastor was a “honest” man.

The Director of DSS, Mr Mike Fubara, while parading pastor Akubiro and 15 other suspects said the SSS acted on the wave of counterfeilt naira note in circulation and traced the source to Pastor Akubiro.

‘’This operation took the service close to four months before a breakthrough resulting in the arrest of the 16-man syndicate led by Reverend Godson O. Akubuiro,’, the director said.

Mr. Fubara said operatives recovered large quantity of printed fake notes, cut to size blank currency notes and N1.3 million fake naira notes.

Reacting to the allegation, the pastor said he was tempted as king David in the bible but he was not greedy as he used the proceed from the crime to help the less privileged.

.FAKE REDEEMED CHURCH PASTOR ARRAINED FOR DEFRAUDING DCP.

As members of the public were falling victims to unscrupulous pastors, the police authority also were not spared as an alleged fake  pastor identified as Daniel Okojie was arraigned  at the Ikeja Magistrate Court for allegedly attempting to  defraud the Deputy Commissioner of Police "B" OPS  in the Lagos State  police  command Mr. Tunde Sobulo.
The accused  arraigned on September 12 was  charged on a six count charge bothering on impersonation and obtaining under false pretense.
The charge also stated that the accused falsely presented himself to Mr. Sobulo as a representative of the  Assistant Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase incharge of Force Criminal Intelligence  Department Force headquarters Abuja.
It was gathered that pastor Okojie allegedly forged a Redeemed Christian Church of God identity card and was parading himself as a pastor to unsupecting policemen.
He had allegedly gone to the DCP 'B' OPS Mr. Sobulo to aid the transfer of thirteen policemen from to the lucrative Operation Guard Unit of the Force as the policemen exhorted him as " respected "man of God whom they held in high esteem.
"Luck however ran out on him when on September 2nd 2013,he went to see the DCP "B"OPS Mr. Tunde SobUlo and informed him that The AIG in charge of FCID Mr. Solomon Arase has ordered that thirteen policemen should be transferred to the Operation and Guard Unit and Sobulo should give him N50,000 to take to Mr.  Arase;Mr Sobulo however called Mr. Arase to inform him of pastor Okojie's request but he was shocked when Arase told him that he knew nothing of such request and the fake pastor should be detained.That was how the pastor was arrested and Sobulo later found out that pastor Okojie has been in the habit of transferring policemen after collecting money ranging from N10,000 to N15,000 from them" a source said.
The charge sheet read in part stated Count5"That you Daniel Okojie(M) on the 2nd day of September,2013 at Lagos State Police Command Headquarters GRA Ikeja  did with intent to defraud one Tunde Sobulo "M" falsely represent yourself as Assistant Inspector of Police,Solomon Arase,a representation you know to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 371(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
Count 6 "That you Daniel Okojie on the same date,time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District did falsely represent yourself as a member of the Nigeria Police Force,a representation you know to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 78(a) and (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
"That you Daniel Okojie between the year 2010 and 2nd September, 2013 at Apapa,Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District did knowingly make a false Redeemed Christian Church of God identity card as an Area Pastor with intent to use or acted upon as genuine,to the prejudice of another and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 361(1)(a) and punishable under Section 361(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
Count 3 read "That you Daniel Okojie "m" sometimes in the month of December, 2012 at the Lagos State police command headquarters ,GRA Ikeja,Lagos State in the aforesaid Magisterial District did receive the sum of N10,000(ten thousand naira)cash from one Chris Owei'm' in the name of one Solomon Arase 'm' contrary to Section 281 and punishable under Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

Reacting to pastor’s involvement in crime, pastor Kehinde Ojuado of The Word Bible Church in Ogun state said members of the public should learn to pray and commit their needs to God themselves.

“ I believe having this upsurge in crime involving pastors is a sign of the end time. The bible says such will happen as the coming of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ draws near. Also I believe the fake pastors come into the ministry due to frustration from their works of life and they just decide they should try pasturing. These people are not called by God so they engage in acts not pleasing to God . their aim is to deceive and get their daily living through fraud and deceit, some pastors want to live big. Maybe they see somebody whom they started with now has a bigger church and is living in a mansion, they cannot be patient , they want their own fast too so they engage in all sir of fraud which bring shame to the house of God”.

Despite the shameful behavior of some pastors, Ojuado however said members of the public

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