Lagos: 64-yr-old pastor arraigned over N3 million fraud
One Gabriel Olakitan was, Thursday, arraigned before an Ogba Magistrate’ court on two counts bordering on fraud.
He is the pastor of a church in the Ayobo area of Lagos state, and a land agent.
Olakitan, 64, is in trouble with the law over a parcel of land deal.
He reportedly sold the parcel of land on behalf of one Bayo for N3 million.
But instead of remitting N2.9 million to Bayo who is based in London, the pastor only gave him N1 million.
Bayo, upon returning to Nigeria in 2014, stopped workers from working on the land which the pastor had sold to one Cornelius.
The case got to the police after which the pastor agreed to pay Cornelius back in installments.
Having failed to keep the agreement, the police arrested the pastor again on July 7.
Cornelius has not been able to take possession of the land, and he hasn’t gotten his money back either.
“Gabriel (Olakitan) acted as an agent to Bayo. I paid him N3m for one and half plots of land in March 2013, but I was unable to take the possession of the land. I later discovered that he only remitted N1m into Bayo’s account,” he said.
“The case was reported to the police and all the parties were invited. But Bayo did not show up. We wanted to start clearing the weeds on the land when Bayo brought some policemen to stop us.”
The pastor has, however, not denied the allegation.
“I am a pastor and a land agent. It is true I collected N3m for the land – N2.9m for the land and N100,000 to process the receipt. I only remitted N1m to the owner, Bayo, through his wife.
“I know what I did is wrong and is against the law. I will try my best to pay the remaining N1.9m to the owner of the land so that the buyer can take the possession,” he added.
After pleading not guilty to the charges levelled against him, he was granted bail in the sum of N500,000.
The case was adjourned till August 12, 2016..
