Court Jails Popular Lagos Pastor For Fraud

A Lagos high court has sentenced Israel Ogundipe, a renowned pastor and shepherd-in-charge of Celestial Church of Christ, Global Genesis Parish, Lagos to two years imprisonment for fraud.

The court convicted Ogundipe, who has been on trial since 2011, of swindling Olaide Williams-Oni, a UK-based woman, of N17 million.

He was charged with seven counts of obtaining by stealing, inducing delivery of money by false pretence, unlawful conversion of property and forgery.

Olabisi Akinlade, the presiding judge, pronounced the clergyman guilty of two of the seven charges and struck out the remaining five over want of evidence.

The judge also ordered Ogundipe to pay the complainant the money which he illegally obtained from her.

“Both sentences are to run concurrently and the defendant is to restitute the complainant the sum of N2.5million in respect of count two (stealing) and N8.5million in respect of count 4 (unlawful conversion of property not delivered),” the judge held.

Williams-Oni had told the court that she met the prophet in 2002 during her visit to Nigeria. She said her step-sister took her to his church for prayers.

Ogundipe, who is in his 40s, is a fierce preacher whose oratory, compelling and profound  sermons have endeared him to many.

He is popular on social media as a result of some of his sermons that have gone viral.

Last year, his comment on “meaningful sex” not lasting more than five minutes sparked reactions on social media.