Popular Lagos Prophet, Israel Genesis Bags Jail Term For Fraud

A Lagos State High Court on Wednesday sentenced popular prophet and Shepherd-in-charge of Celestial Church of Christ Global Genesis Parish, Prophet Israel Oladele Ogundipe, to two years imprisonment for defrauding a United States-based woman.

Trial judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, sentenced Oladele to the two-year jail term after she found him guilty on two of the seven charges brought against him.

Justice Akinlade, in a judgment that lasted for about four hours, sentenced the defendant, Prophet Oladele, to a year imprisonment on count two and four.

She, however, discharged him on counts 1, 3, 5 ,6 and 7 for lack of evidence against him.

Oladele was charged with seven counts bordering on fraud and obtaining money by false pretences, preferred against him by the Lagos State Government since 2007.

He was said to have defrauded one Mrs Olaide William Oni to the tune of eleven million naira (N11m).

He had, however, earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was brought before the court.