Winners Chapel Pastors’ Fight Over N16.5m Scam Deepens

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The feud among three pastors of the Living Faith Church also known as Winners Chapel at Isheri Olofin has deepened over the sharing of N16.5m realised from the purchase of some parcel of land and property by the church in Lagos.
The church suffered a set back at the Ogba Magistrate’s court who ruled that there is a merit in the suit and would go on with the hearing.
The court therefore dismissed and struck out all the objections raised by the pastors through the church for the court to discontinue the suit.
The three pastors in the matter are Deacon Dolire Oluwaniyi, who is also an estate agent on one hand and two other Pastors, Edwin Iky and Peter O. Odama on the other hand. The last two acted on behalf of the church over the purchase of the property.
In the suit with suit number, MIK/4174/16, Deacon Oluwaniyi stated that the two pastors cheated him after they collected N140 million from their General Overseer, Bishop David Oyedapo and paid only N130 million to the owner of the property.
Oluwaniyi claimed he was cheated as he was not given any share from the N10 million.
Apart from that, Oluwaniyi also stated that as the agent who linked the church to the owner of the property, he was entitled to N6.5 million commission which was also paid by the church but was shared between the two pastors and he was not given a dime.
Following the alleged scam, the claimant dragged the church to the court seeking an order that he should be paid his commission as a registered agent with his company’s name, Bedek Properties that facilitated the transaction.
In his affidavit in support of the claim, the claimant stated that his company wrote to the church introducing the properties which contain two big church halls and a story building on one acre of land located at Iyana Odo, along Igando road in Isheri Olofin suburbs of Lagos.
He stated that he was contacted through the pastors and he linked the church to the owner of the property, one Bishop Emmanuel Omoba Jesu.
The claimant said after the payment for the property, he demanded for his commission and the two pastors asked him to bear it as a seed to the church whereas they had already collected the money from the church.
The claimant also stated that the pastors involved in the transaction are not honest and sincere as they both ate with both hands and thereby soiled their hands in the transaction.
In response, the defendants under the registered trustee of the church stated that the claimant was not appointed as its agent, legal representative nor hold any partnership and did not authorise the claimant to act on behalf of the defendant.
It also stated that the claimant have no locus standi to sue the defendants as regard the property and demanding N6.5 million agency commission.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs. M.O Osibajo then adjourned the matter till 23 November, 2016, to deliver rulings on the motions filed by the parties.
It was during the ruling that the court dismissed and struck out all the objections raised through motions and adjourned the matter till 13 December 2016 for further hearing.