LAGOS—Detectives at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, Lagos, have started an investigation into the allegations of fraud and obtaining by false pretence made by a businessman against a popular pastor (names withheld).

This followed a petition to the Commissioner of Police by the businessman, Omolayo Michael, alleging that the pastor, who is the founder of a church with headquarters in Ojodu Berger, Lagos obtained money by false pretence and two of his vehicles totalling N106.178 million.

Giving details of how the incident took place, the businessman said as the Managing Director of Blessed Energy Resources Limited, he was introduced to the pastor by one of his friends called Ayobami, now late, in 2021.

According to him, the pastor who claimed to be a man of God, brainwashed him with fake miracles and asked him to supply 42,000 litres of diesel valued at N50 million.

“After that, he refused to pay me a dime up to this moment and he also brainwashed me by collecting my two vehicles, one Mercedes Benz M-Class with number plate, KRD 575 HH (black in colour) and Mercedes Benz ML350 with number plate, KTU 546 HE (black in colour) all valued at N30 million.

“I also transferred N14.378 million into his bank accounts and N11.800 million in cash.”

The business man, who claimed that his attraction to the pastor was because he did a contract for Lagos State government but they have continued to owe him huge amount of money, prompting his resort to prayers, also alleged that the pastor warned him not to reveal the secret to any person and that if he does, it will be the end of his life.

“To my utmost surprise, a woman, Bose Olasukanmi, used by the pastor for fake miracles to deceive me was arrested by the police. It was then I realised that I have been duped by the pastor and all efforts made for him to return my vehicles and pay my money proved abortive.”

The business man who said he was in the protocol department in the church further alleged that the pastor also threatened his life by warning that he should stop demanding a refund of his vehicles and payment of his money.

At press time, police sources said one of the vehicles had been recovered from the person the pastor sold it to while frantic efforts were in progress to recover the second vehicle.

However, sources said all efforts to invite the pastor failed but he only sent a legal representative to deny all allegations against him.

Meanwhile, the church, in a statement by its spokesman, Henry Okoduwa, denied all the allegations against their pastor, stating that the cars in question were voluntarily offered by the complainant, who joyfully presented them as offerings to God during a service broadcast live.