Prophet In Police Net For Over N20m Deliverance Prayer Fee
CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
A cleric, Prophet Matthew Oluwashola, of the Celestial Church of Christ, Ikorodu Parish in Lagos, has landed in trouble after he gave a business man, Olorunnisola Michael Oluwatayo, false prophecy and obtained the sum of N20, 854, 000, as deliverance prayer fee.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the 56-year old prophet, Oluwashola, was arrested along with his accomplice, a 53-year old Adewale Adeyemi, who he used as one of his agents to defraud the victim to the tune of the said amount under false pretence.
Both Prophet Oluwashola and Adeyemi, his accomplice, have been arrested by Police operatives from the Federal Intelligence Bureau of the Intelligence Response Team, FIB- IRT and charged before the Court for conspiracy and obtaining under false pretence.
The prophet, Oluwashola, was said to have turned his Church as avenue to defraud innocent people after he was able to attract reasonable membership by arranging to be dupe people through false prophecy.
He was said to have instilled fear and hypnotized the victim, Oluwatayo, by giving him false prophecy after his agent, Adeyemi, brought him for the scam. Prophet Oluwashola also told him that he will be elevated after the deliverance prayer and will not experience sudden death.
He then directed him to pay the said money into the Access Bank account owned by one Tosin Olagunju suspected to be another agent.
However, after the victim, Oluwatayo, had paid the money, he later regained his senses and demanded for his money. He was then told that the money he paid was for the special prayer cannot be refunded because he will not die again.
The matter was reported to the Police who then trailed the suspects and eventually arrested them. They were detained for interrogation and in the process, they confessed that they had duped him and shared the money among the gang.
They were subsequently charged before the Ogba Magistrate Court and being prosecuted by Barrister Nosa Watson Uhumangho of the Legal Department of the Nigeria Police from SCIID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos. But the trial has been stalled due to the Covid-19 lockdown and since then the defendants have not appeared before the Court to face trial.