An Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos has sentenced a Lagos-based prophet, Cletus Ilongwo, to seven years imprisonment for defrauding his church member of N59.7 million.
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Recall that in 2018, The EFCC arrested and arraigned Ilongwo, the presiding pastor of the Power of the Holy Ghost Evangelical Ministry in Lagos, for defrauding a member of his church after the member had reported a case of fraud against him to the tune of N 85 million (read here)
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According to the church member, Ilongwo’s action cost him his job in one of the first-generation banks in the country (read here).
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Today, September 22, Ilongwo, was found guilty of seven counts charges bordering on fraud and stealing.
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Delivering judgment, Justice Sherifat Solebo ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s property situated at No. 3 Popoola Ajayi St., Diamond Estate in Amuwo Odofin, to the complainant.
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“His Toyota Prado is also to be forfeited to the Federal Government as restitution to settle the complainant,” Solebo said.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) submitted that the convict on January 29, 2016, defrauded a former member of his congregation, one Mr Obinna Ezenwaka.
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EFCC counsel, Nwandu Ukoha, told the court that Ilongwo collected the sum in tranches through his bank.
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Ukoha said that the convict received the amount from Ezenwaka on different occasions in 2016 on the pretext of helping him to purchase a property located at 165c Diamond Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
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The defence counsel, Mr Albert Imolodia, in his allocutus, informed the court that the convict was a first-time offender.
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“He is a family man who has people that rely on him for their survival. We pray the court to temper justice with mercy,” Imolodia said.
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The EFCC counsel, however, urged the court to give the convict the maximum sentence as required by law and a restitution order in line with the Advance Fee Fraud Act.