BISHOP BANKOLE JEFFERSON OF MERCY TABERNACLE ARRAIGNED FOR FRAUD, STEALING

IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – General Overseer, Mercy Tabernacle Church Ogba, Bishop Bankole Jefferson was today arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate court for allegedly defrauding one Akinyemi Adebayo, the sum of N9, 050,000.00.

The accused was docked on a three count charge bordering on obtaining money by false, pretence and stealing. Jefferson and others now at large were alleged to have collected N9, 050,000.00 from one Mr. Akinyemi Adebayo with the aim of supplying NGO (diesel).

According to the IPO, Mr. Akinyemi Adebayo had reported the matter to the police late January this year claiming to have lost a large sum of money to Bishop Jefferson in a deal worth millions of Naira.

At the time according to him, the police took the case very lightly considering the personality of the bishop and the fact that the person who reported the matter does not seem to have the carriage to do such high level deals.

On further investigation however, the police discovered that the bishop’s hands were deeply in it as he is the defector ring leader of the gang. And with the police closing up on him, Jefferson avoided arrest, using various tricks until he traveled to the USA on an unknown mission,while the police waited for him.

On his return, the Bishop was finally picked up by the police and taken to the office of the commissioner of police where he attemted to defend himself by saying that the money he collected from Adebayo was actually for offering .

But when he was confronted with solid evidence he did accept the fact of the matter, stating that he and adebayo had a failed business deal. We gathered that the bishop then went on to lead the police to the residents of members of his gang who took off on hearing of his arrest.

Bishop Jefferson entered a no guilty plea and was granted bail in the sum of N1.5 million with two sureties in like sum. The case has been adjourned to November 20, 2017.