Pastor Afolabi Samuel has been arraigned before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos State, for allegedly stealing the sum of $90, 000 and N4.5million, totalling N37,125,000 which are property of the Registered Trustees of Winners Chapel (Living Faith Church) Cannanland, Ota, Ogun State.
Samuel, an accountant and member of the church, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge of stealing and conspiracy.
The EFCC Prosecutor, S. O. Daji, said that the defendant, who worked as the treasurer of church, committed the alleged offences sometime in September 24 and December 31, 2018 in Lagos.
Daji told the court that the offences contravened Sections 278, 285 and 490 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State No. 11, 2011.
The EFCC alleged that Samuel and Mrs Blessing Kolawole, a worker with the Covenant University, now at large, conspired and stole money and property of the Registered Trustees of the Living Faith Church.
The pastor and Kolawole were accused of converting the sum of $90, 000 and N4.5 million to their own personal use.
According to a petition to EFCC dated June 26, 2019 and signed by Chioma Okwuanyi & Co legal practitioners, Samuel was employed in the Accounts Department of the Church to maintain proper records of funds.
The firm, acting as Solicitors to the Registered Trustees of the Living Faith Church, said that both Samuel and Kolawole connived with others and started taking advantage of their positions as the Church’s Treasurer and a worker of the University respectively.
According to the firm; “The duo started carrying out various acts of breach of trust and fraudulent commission of unconscionable economic crime and sabotage, by diverting to their private use, the Church’s money in Samuel’s custody without the permission of the Church.”
“The duo continued doing so until sometime in the month of December, 2018 when they ran out of luck and all their secret acts of economic sabotage and financial crime of fraudulently tampering with the church’s money was revealed.
“When confronted by the church, Samuel, who lives around the church at Raji Oba, Lagos admitted committing the act and even voluntarily made a written confession wherein he detailed how they had been stealing from the church.”