Pastor in court for duping members in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command has reportedly arraigned one Pastor David Oladele before an Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court for allegedly duping his unnamed church members of millions of naira in car deals, having failed to remit profits from the sales of the cars and issuing them fake cheques thereafter.

The vehicles, one Toyota pickup van, one Nissan Muraino, one Toyota Highlander, one Acura 3.2 as well as a Honda Odyssey, were allegedly obtained under false pretenses and given to Oladele to sell and remit to the dealers, but instead, he diverted the money into his personal accounts after the vehicles were sold.

Oladele was reportedly arraigned on nine-counts of stealing, after allegedly defrauding six people and issuing duff cheques to two others.

The charges read in part:

“That you, Pastor David Oladele, and others now at large, between October 2014 and January 2015, at Ipaja, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; obtaining money under false pretenses and stealing, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.”

The pastor reportedly pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against him and his defense counsel requested for bail.

The Court Magistrate, N. A. Layeni, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum, stating that one of the sureties must be a blood relation, one must be a landed property owner, and both must have evidence of tax payments.

Layeni, however, reportedly adjourned the case till 7 October for further hearing.

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