Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted and jailed a pastor of the Living Faith Church, aka Winners’ Chapel, Afolabi Samuel, for three years for stealing $90,000 and N4.5m belonging to the church.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned Samuel, who is an accountant and the church’s treasurer, before Justice Mojisola Dada on two counts of conspiracy and stealing.
EFCC told the court that the pastor and one Blessing Kolawole, an employee of the Covenant University, who is currently on the run, conspired and dishonestly stole the money, which they also converted to their personal use.
The commission accused the jailed Pastor Samuel, who was employed in the accounting department of the church to maintain proper records of funds, of conniving with Kolawole and others to take advantage of their position as the church’s treasurer and worker at the university, respectively.
EFCC argued that the offences contravened sections 278, 285 and 490 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State No. 11, 2011.
Justice Dada, in her judgment, found Samuel guilty of the charges.
The convicted pastor’s lawyer, Rotimi Ogunwuyi, who expressed regret that his client’s action did not only embarrass him but also his family, urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
Ogunwuyi stated that the convict had realised his mistakes, which made him to change his plea from not guilty to guilty, and that Samuel was responsible for his children’s education and care for his aged parents.
Following the counsel’s allocutus, the judge granted the convict an option of fine of N1m.
The court also ordered the convict to refund the sum of $90,000 and N2,358,000 to the church.