How ‘Devil’ Tempted Redeemed Church Pastor To Temper With Estate’s Multi Million Projects Money

MICHAEL AKINOLA

Facts have emerged how Pastor Adewale Olajide of the Redeemed Christian Church of God was purportedly tempted by the devil and he landed into a serious financial mess as former Chairman of the Island Heritage Estate Association, Ojodu Abiodun, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the cleric was not the only person the ‘devil’ purportedly misled as some of his former executives were linked and accused of embezzling the association’s development funds to the tune of about N60m. Hence the association now wants them to vomit all the money traced to his bank account with the other executives.

P.M.EXPRESS obtained some documents, recorded telephone conversations, text messages, e-mail messages, bank transfers, and secretly recorded videos and audios, showing that about N60m cannot be accounted for by the former executives.

The alleged embezzlement of funds has thrown the once peaceful estate into serious crisis as landlords, stakeholders blamed the saga on three former executive officers of the estate association namely Pastor Olajide, Barrister Olufemi Owoeye as Secretary and Financial Secretary, Taiwo Akinmolayan.

The missing funds were part of the statutory levies comprising security charges, electricity bills, and annual development contributions paid by landlords into the estate’s account between 2010 and 2018.
The whole thing got exposed when there was need for out-of-court settlement levies, which all property owners in the estate were compelled to pay to settle land vendors known as Omo-Onile.

In 2016, the residents woke up to the invasion of Omo-Onile from the Habeeb Kasumu Family, who claimed rightful ownership of the estate’s lands and threatened to take possession and demolish properties in the estate.
There was a settlement arrangement; those who have completed their houses and had long moved in were asked to pay N300,000 each; N500,000 for those whose houses were still being developed; and N700,000 each for those who were yet to take full possession of their land.
It was learnt that out of the 120 houses in the estate, 63 landlords complied with the full payment and the money was not fully paid to Omo-nile hence the invasion. The three ex-officials, who were signatories to the association’s accounts namely Chairman, (Pastor) Secretary, (Lawyer) and Financial Secretary, a certified accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, were accused of masterminding the fraud.

An audit was set up and after the auditing of the estate’s account, conducted by Messr Aderopo Oladejo & Co, a shortfall of N11.4m was discovered in the process, contrary to the claim of the three executives including N900,000 Ratification Levy, Utilization Fund” amounting to N18.3m meant for road construction and interlocking pavement and other funds were not accounted for.

Findings revealed on the 26th of October 2016 that, N1million was withdrawn by Pastor Olajide and Mr. Akinmolayan, for “unapproved and unknown purposes”,  N2million was given to Mr. Owoeye, the former Secretary, who was also a signatory to the account. However, Owoeye  refunded the said money on the 28th of December, 2018.

The document also showed that the sum of N5million was remitted to the accounts of two corporate organisations namely, Living Links Ventures and KLX Kings Ventures, by Mr. Olajide and Mr. Akinmolayan. The decision was taken without the members’ approval. The two companies were allegedly owned by the disbursers.

On the 3rd of May, 2016, the sum of N800,000 was withdrawn by , Pastor Olajide, for a purpose disputed and was asked to refund the money to the association.

The audit report also discovered ghost beneficiaries such as Evelyn Ubani and Abiodun Adefidipe, who received payments from the association without rendering any services whatsoever to it.

Having been indicted by the audit and asked to refund the missing funds to non avail, the association wrote a petition to Police Headquarters at Zone 2 in February 2020, for investigation and prosecution, where they were said to have been indicted and recommended for prosecution, which has been delayed by the Police. 
The IPO in charge of the petition at Zone II Command, Inspector Afolabi Tajudeen, said, “We have since done with the case and transferred the file to Kam Salaam, Obalende, for further action, according to the instruction we received”.

So far,  three litigations have been instituted by the accused in the Ogun State High Courts, one of which was instituted (with Suit number HCF/152/2019) by the duos of the former Chairman and the former Financial Secretary, praying the Court to restrain the new executives from arresting them or holding them liable for the mismanagement.

Two other cases, filed by the former Secretary (with suits number HCF/97/2020 and HCF/98/2020), are challenging the legality of the Constitution of the Caretaker Committee, upon which the decision to audit the association’s account was premised, and a libel.

According to Owoeye, the indicted Secretary, the Constitution of the Caretaker Committee by the General House was a violation of the Bylaw of the association; as such power resides only with the Board of Trustees of the Association.

Hence the Audit Committee findings, recommendation and allegation of mismanagement of the association’s funds would amount to null and void, according to his reply.

However, there was a turn of events on the matter by the Estate association, which filed a suit before the Lagos High Court seeking to recover the missing money from the two indicted ex official namely Pastor Olajide and Taiwo Akinmolayan. The matter is before Justice Oke Lawal, who has adjourned the matter till 28th August, 2021, for hearing.