1 defrauding 2024.4 ✓Press ✓Nigeria,尼日利亚

EFCC ARRESTS SUSPECTED FRAUDULENT PASTOR FOR N3.9M FRAUD IN ILORIN

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 arrested the General Overseer of CAC Freedom City Prophetic and Deliverance Ministry, Ilorin, Prophet Adeniyi Abiodun James, for allegedly defrauding a member of the church to the tune of N3,980,000 (Three Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira).

The victim, Oluwole Babarinsa, had in a petition to the Commission, alleged that Prophet James called him out during a church programme sometime in 2021 that he had a revelation that he would travel abroad.

According to the petitioner, the cleric, in the course of giving the revelation, asked him about his preferred country, to which he replied “Canada”. Thereafter, they reportedly struck an agreement to talk later in order to perfect arrangements for the trip.

The prophet, he said, later told him that he had a friend in Lagos who could help him facilitate his relocation to Canada, but at a cost of N1.7million and N2.5million for processing of flight ticket and travel documents, respectively.

The petitioner further disclosed that he had to sell some of his properties and took some loans before he could raise N3,980,000 which he gave the prophet to facilitate his quick relocation to Canada.

After prolonged waiting with no result, the petitioner became agitated and began to query the prophet’s vision, prompting him to ask for a refund of his money. He said that all efforts and entreaties to the suspect to refund his money yielded no positive result.

The suspect will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

Media & Publicity
April 6, 2024

（https://www.efcc.gov.ng/efcc/news-and-information/news-release/9957-efcc-arrests-suspected-fraudulent-pastor-for-n3-9m-fraud-in-ilorin
）

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EFCC arrests pastor for ‘defrauding church member of N3.9m’ in Ilorin

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its operatives have arrested Adeniyi Abiodun James, the general overseer (GO) of CAC Freedom City Prophetic and Deliverance Ministry, in Ilorin, Kwara state, for allegedly defrauding a member of his church.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, in a statement on Saturday, said James was arrested on April 2 after a petition by one Oluwole Babarinsa.

Babarinsa, a church member, accused the GO of defrauding him of N3,980,000.

In the petition, Babarinsa alleged that the pastor prophesied during a church programme in 2021 that he would travel abroad.

The petitioner said the pastor asked him about his preferred country, to which he replied, “Canada”.

He added that they then agreed to talk later to perfect arrangements for the trip.

Babarinsa claimed that the clergyman told him that he had a friend in Lagos who could facilitate his relocation to Canada at the cost of N1.7 million and N2.5 million for processing flight tickets and travel documents, respectively.

Babarinsa said he had to sell some of his properties and took some loans to raise N3,980,000, which he allegedly gave the pastor to facilitate his relocation to Canada.

“After prolonged waiting with no result, the petitioner became agitated and began to query the prophet’s vision, prompting him to ask for a refund of his money,” the statement reads.

“He said that all efforts and entreaties to the suspect to refund his money yielded no positive result.”

Oyewale said the suspect would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the investigations.

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EFCC arrests Ilorin pastor over alleged N3.9m fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested an Ilorin based clergyman, Prophet Adeniyi James, for allegedly defrauding a member of his church to the tune of N3.9 million.

A statement by the Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, on Saturday, said the Ilorin Zonal Command arrested James on April 2, 2024 for the alleged offence.

It was gathered that James is the General Overseer of Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, Freedom City Prophetic and Deliverance Ministry in Ilorin.

Oyewale noted that the victim, Oluwole Babarinsa, in a petition to the Commission, alleged that James called him out during a church programme sometime in 2021, declaring that he had a revelation that he (Babarinsa) would travel abroad.

“The petitioner said the cleric, in the course of giving the revelation, asked him about his preferred country, which he replied ‘Canada’ and they agreed to talk later in order to perfect arrangements for the trip.

“The petitioner said James later told him that he had a friend in Lagos who could help him facilitate his relocation to Canada, but at a cost of N1.7 million and N2.5 million for processing of flight ticket and travel documents, respectively.

“Babarinsa added that he had to sell some of his properties and took some loans before he could raise N3,980,000 which he gave the prophet to facilitate his quick relocation to Canada.

“After prolonged waiting with no result, the petitioner became agitated and began to query the prophet’s vision, prompting him to ask for a refund of his money.

“All efforts and entreaties to the suspect to refund his money yielded no positive result,” EFCC spokesman said.

The suspect would be arraigned in court after the conclusion of the investigations, Oyewale added.

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尼日利亚因诈骗先知而被捕 – EFCC 揭露了这一骗局

在伊洛林的一份声明中，尼日利亚经济和金融犯罪委员会（EFCC）确认在4月2日，他们逮捕了一名涉嫌诈骗的先知詹姆斯。据EFCC的媒体和公共关系官员德勒·奥耶瓦勒（Dele Oyewale）称，受害者奥卢沃勒·巴巴林萨（Oluwole Babarinsa）提交了投诉，称詹姆斯在2021年的一次教堂活动中联系了他，并声称领悟到将为该外国人留下的遗产。

巴巴林萨在诉状中描述，先知愿意帮助他移民加拿大，费用为170万奈拉的旅行费用和250万奈拉的机票、签证和旅行证件费用。为了筹集所需金额，受害者不得不出售资产并借款，总计398万奈拉交给了先知。

等待了很长时间后仍未见结果，巴巴林萨开始追问先知关于实现他的愿景的解释。尽管先知坚持他提出的要求，但面对受害人要求退款时却拒绝返还所支付的款项，并且无法再联系到他。

这个案例提醒我们对宗教领袖的信任必须保持警觉，强调了某些宗教团体中存在的欺诈问题。教育大众在面对此类承诺时要保持警惕，不轻易被那些虚假承诺所蒙蔽至关重要。

EFCC再次表现出他们保护公民免受欺诈和滥用行为的承诺。这次逮捕凸显了公众积极合作的必要性，以帮助揭露和阻止这类恶意行为。

公民必须保持警觉、知情和受过教育，以避免落入以宗教信仰或虚假承诺为幌子的诈骗陷阱。通过及时了解情况并报告可疑活动，我们可以共同努力创造一个更安全、更受保护的社会环境。