Presiding Pastor of the Power of the Holy Ghost Evangelical Ministry Cletus Ilongwo has been jailed seven years by an Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos on Thursday for defrauding his church member of N59.7 million.
The court found Ilongwo guilty of seven-counts on fraud and stealing. Among others
Justice Sherifat Solebo ordered Ilongwa to forfeit his property located on No. 3 Popoola Ajayi St., Diamond Estate in Amuwo Odofin to the complainant.
“His Toyota Prado is also to be forfeited to the Federal Government as restitution to settle the complainant,” Solebo said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) submitted that the convict on Jan. 29, 2016, defrauded a former member of his congregation, one Mr Obinna Ezenwaka.
EFCC counsel, Nwandu Ukoha, told the court that Ilongwo collected the sum in tranches through his Zenith Bank account 1003455899.
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.
The defence counsel, Mr Albert Imolodia, in his allocutus, informed the court that the convict was a first time offender.
“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.
The EFCC counsel, however, urged the court to give the convict maximum sentence as required by law and a restitution order in line with the Advance Fee Fraud Act.
