The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has secured the conviction of a pastor of the Living Faith Church, aka Winners’ Chapel, Samuel Afolabi, for stealing $90,000 and N4.5m belonging to the registered trustees of the church.
According to EFCC, Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja convicted and sentenced the accused, who is an accountant and the church’s treasurer, on two counts of conspiracy and stealing.
The commission explained that Afolabi colluded with one Blessing Kolawole, an employee of the Covenant University, who is currently at large, to dishonestly steal the money and convert same to their personal uses.
The commission said that the duo connived with others to take advantage of their positions as treasurer and worker respectively to dupe their employer.
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This, the commission said, contravened sections 278, 285 and 490 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State No. 11, 2011.
Justice Dada found Afolabi guilty of the offences and sentenced him to three years in prison.
Earlier, counsel for the accused, Rotimi Ogunwuyi said that Afolabi’s action brought shame to him and his family but urged the court to temper justice with mercy as the convict was a first-time offender.
He said that it was upon realising his mistake that the convict changed his plea from ‘not guilty’ to ‘guilty’.
Ogunwuyi further told the court that the convict was responsible for the upkeep of his children and aged parents.
After listening to the counsel’s allocutus, Justice Dada granted Afolabi an option of N1 million fine while ordering him to refund the sum of $90,000 and N2,358,000 to the church.
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