TheCable

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.