Prophet Ilongwo of Holy Ghost Evangelical Ministry convicted for N59.7m fraud

Admin l Thursday, September 22, 2022

 

IKEJA, Lagos –  A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos today convicted and sentenced Prophet, Cletus Ilongwo of the  Holy Ghost Evangelical Ministry to seven years imprisonment for defrauding his church member to the tune of  N59.7 million.

Ilongwo, the Presiding Pastor of  the church was convicted on all the seven counts charges bordering on fraud and stealing.

Delivering judgment, Justice Sherifat Solebo ordered  the  forfeiture of the convict’s property situated 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”,  Solebo said.

During trial\ the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) submitted that the convict on Jan. 29, 2016, defrauded one Obinna Ezenwaka,  a former member of his congregation under pretense of helping to purchase property.

EFCC counsel, EFCC Counsel, Nwandu  Ukoha, told the court that Ilongwo collected the sum in tranches through his  bank account 1003455899.

Ukoha said that the convict received the amount from Ezenwaka on different occasions in 2016 on the pretext of helping him to purchase a property located at 165c Diamond Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.

The defence counsel, Mr Albert Imolodia, in his allocutus, informed 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 EFCC counsel, however, urged the court to give the convict maximum sentence as required by law and a restitution order in line with the Advance Fee Fraud Act.

The convict was said to have  dishonestly converted for  his own use the sum of money, being money received through his Zenith Bank account number 1003495899 from the complainant which was meant for the purchase of the property situated at No 165c, Block 12, Diamond Estate, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos