Court Docks Kwara Cleric For N7.5m Fraud

An Ilorin Upper Area Court in Kwara State, has docked one Pastor Adewumi Oyeniyi Okikiola of Ita-Elepa area, Ilorin, for defrauding Mrs Oluwaseyi Esther Adegboyega, who happens to be the wife of the High Court’s chief accountant, to the tune of N7.5million.

The clergyman appeared before Justice Makama on alleged offences of criminal breach of trust, extortion, cheating and criminal intimidation contrary to section 312, 292, 325, and 397(B) of the Penal Code.

The direct criminal complaint filed by the complainants’ counsel, Barr Ismail Abdullazeez, revealed that the said pastor, who is the overseer of the Christ Adoration Gospel Church Worldwide, deceived his client to become a member of his church.

“One Okikiola, who presented himself as a pastor and holds himself out as an overseer of a church known as Christ Adoration Gospel Church Worldwide, encouraged our client to attend his church. From July 2015 to 9th August 2018, the accused person, under the pretext of being a pastor, had extorted Mrs Adegboyega to the tune of N7.5million. The monies were collected in tranches through threat and coercion.

The charge sheet alleged that Okikiola threatened the complainant with death and all manners of affliction if she refused to pay the money within 24 hours.

“…Okikiola coerced and deceived our client to part with the sum of N7.5million, which was obtained in tranches by threats that if she refused to pay the said sum to him within 24 hours of demand, she would experience a number of afflictions with her family members and that it would result into death,” the direct complaint stated.

According to the charge sheet, the complainant complied strictly to the instructions of Okikiola in order to avert calamity from befalling her and her family.

But, upon demand for her money after she was delivered of Pastor Okikiola’s antics, the direct complaint maintained that the suspect threatened Mrs Adegboyega with death.

“When our client, who was now delivered of all the antics of Okikiola demanded for her money, she was threatened that her husband, who is the chief accountant of Kwara State Judiciary and herself would die in January 2019 if she did not stop demanding for the refund.

The direct complaint further posited that the accused person threatened to inflict Mrs Adegboyega with stroke just as he did to one Iya Ruth.

After the charges were read to the accused, he informed the court that he was not guilty of all the offences, saying, “It was total false”.

In his submission, the complainant counsel noted that the matter was slated for motion, adding that the accused person must not be admitted to bail.

He said his application against the bail of the accused person was premised on 341 (2) of the CPC reiterating that the accused person must not be admitted to bail.

The state legal aide officer, Barr Shina Ibiyemi, however prayed the court to discountenance the submission of the complainant and admit the accused to bail on liberal terms.

The court, however, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N1million and one surety in like sum.

The surety, according to the judge, must be a Level 15 officer and must be residing within the jurisdiction of the court.

The case was adjourned till 12 November 2019 for hearing.

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