metro

Pastor absconded after using group’s thrift savings to pay LAPO debt

Published

3 years ago

March 24, 2023

Amazing Grace membership form

Martins Emmanuel, a member of the Amazing Grace Eagle Family, a Christian group in Kwara, has told FIJ how a pastor absconded with the monetary contributions of the group.

Emmanuel narrated how his pastor introduced him to the thrift, which was being run by his associate, another pastor named Afolabi Olakunle Alexander.

Emmanuel told FIJ he agreed to the said thrift in order to have savings for his child’s school fees.

“In December 2021, precisely December 27, I got a chat from my pastor, Reverend Simeon Oladejo. He told me thrift was being organised for Christian believers. We attend same church, and he’s one of our pastors in Ife. I asked him how much I could be contributing, and he told me the least was N5000,” said Emmanuel.

“I agreed, and I started making my contributions in February. I made my contributions until November 2022, when I was to get my money.

“According to the list of people that would be paid monthly, which was sent to the platform, I was to be paid on November 15, 2022.”

However, when Emmanuel reached out to his pastor, he was told Pastor Afolabi had absconded with the money and efforts to reach him had been futile.

“When I reached out to Reverend Oladejo, he said the man took away the money, and that he had tried to get across to him, but to no avail,” Emmanuel told FIJ.

READ ALSO:

“Pastor Afolabi is a known associate of Reverend Oladejo. After making the payment into his account, the receipts were usually sent to him.

“I began to send messages to him to please give me my money, as I needed to pay my children’s school fees. But he replied none of my messages, including the ones sent on WhatsApp. He would read but not reply.”

OVER 100 CONTRIBUTORS INVOLVED

Documents and other items of evidence at FIJ’s disposal show that no less than hundred contributors were involved.

FIJ reached out to some other members of the group, and their accounts did not differ from Emmanuel’s.

One Omoniyi, a Port-Harcourt resident, told FIJ that he also could not get his money. He said his efforts had always been met with a series of excuses from Reverend Oladejo, who introduced him to the group.

“I am also involved in it. I have about N55,000 with him, but each time I reached out, I was always told that the persons in charge of the money ran away with it. There are many others that have not got their money,” Omoniyi told FIJ.

‘OVER N2M BELONGING TO MY GROUP NOT PAID’

An inner member of the group, who asked not to be named, told FIJ that no less than N2 million belonging to his own clique in the group had not been paid. This, according to him, was besides his own personal N200,000.

“I am a member of the group, and I hold an important position in the administration of the thrift. The matter is more serious than that. My money too is stuck in there, and it is about N200,000. The people that I brought into the programme have also not been paid their money, which is over N2 million naira.”

FIJ learned that Pastor Afolabi used the money contributed to offset his debt with the microfinance bank popularly known as LAPO.

“He is running round to source for money. The issue is that he was owing LAPO some money. LAPO then told him to pay up to lend him more money, which he believed he would use to pay the contributors in the thrift group,” said a source who asked not to be named.

“However, after he paid LAPO using the contributors’ money, LAPO came up with an excuse that they had closed for the year.”

Efforts by FIJ to hear from Pastor Afolabi proved abortive as his line was unreachable.

Up Next

Four sentenced to death by hanging for kidnapping Emzor Pharmaceutical MD’s sister

Don't Miss

BREAKING: Ike Ekweremadu, wife found guilty of organ trafficking

metro

El-Rufai to Appear Before EFCC After Alleged Airport Arrest Attempt

Published

10 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai

El-Rufai to Appear Before EFCC After Alleged Airport Arrest Attempt

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, is scheduled to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026, following what his legal team described as an attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

El-Rufai’s counsel, Ubong Esop Akpan, disclosed this while reacting to Thursday’s incident involving security operatives. According to him, the former governor was approached shortly after arriving in Abuja aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo, where he had reportedly travelled for medical treatment and rest.

Akpan described the development as a “flagrant violation of constitutional rights, executive overreach, and deliberate disregard for the rule of law.” He explained that the EFCC invitation was delivered to El-Rufai’s residence while he was already outside Nigeria, making immediate compliance “illogical and impractical.” According to the lawyer, it was unreasonable to expect instantaneous attendance from someone who was abroad at the time the invitation was issued.

READ ALSO:

The legal team said it had formally communicated with the EFCC since December 2025, assuring the Commission that El-Rufai would comply upon his return. He added that the EFCC was explicitly notified that the former governor would voluntarily appear at the Commission’s office by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, specifying both the date and time. Resorting to an attempted arrest despite that commitment, he argued, amounted to arbitrary conduct and procedural abuse.

Akpan further alleged that El-Rufai’s passport was seized during the encounter and demanded its immediate return, along with a formal apology. He maintained that there was no lawful basis for the attempted arrest or what he termed mistreatment, stressing that El-Rufai had publicly affirmed his willingness to face any legitimate investigation.

As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC has not issued an official statement regarding the airport incident or the exact nature of the allegations under investigation. However, sources indicate that the former governor’s invitation may be linked to ongoing investigations into alleged financial transactions and administrative decisions during his tenure in Kaduna State.

The development has generated significant political interest, given El-Rufai’s influence in national politics and his outspoken role in governance debates. His scheduled appearance before the anti-corruption agency on Monday is expected to shed more light on the allegations and determine the next steps in the matter.

El-Rufai to Appear Before EFCC After Alleged Airport Arrest Attempt

metro

Four Sentenced to Death for Murder of Ahoada DPO in Rivers

Published

11 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Four Sentenced to Death for Murder of Ahoada DPO in Rivers

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has sentenced four individuals to death by hanging for their involvement in the brutal killing of Superintendent of Police (SP) Bako Amgbashim, the former Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ahoada East Division. The verdict, delivered on Thursday, February 12, 2026, marks a major milestone in a high-profile case that captured national attention nearly three years ago.

Justice Sika Aprioku, presiding over the case, found Robinson Sonabari, a native doctor; Bright Okparawo; Precious Amaeze, popularly known as “Selina”; and Loveday Jack, also called “Ragged Excess,” guilty of conspiracy, murder, membership of a secret cult group, and robbery. The judge ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and ordered that the four convicts be executed by hanging, the maximum penalty under Nigerian law.

Additionally, Samuel Nwadinma, the sixth defendant, was convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. One defendant was discharged and acquitted due to insufficient evidence, while five others — previously found guilty of cult group membership — were freed after the court noted they had already served the statutory term while in custody.

READ ALSO:

The case arose from the murder of SP Bako Amgbashim on September 8, 2023, during a police operation in Odemude community, Ahoada East Local Government Area. The officer was ambushed and killed by suspected cultists, and his body was reportedly mutilated, sparking widespread outrage and prompting intensified security operations in the area.

During the trial, it emerged that Robinson Sonabari played a key role, allegedly preparing the charm used to execute the attack on the late DPO. Prosecutors presented eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence, and confessions, while the defense failed to disprove the charges, leading to the death sentences.

Speaking to journalists after the ruling, lead prosecution counsel Chigozie Amadi of the Rivers State Ministry of Justice described the judgment as a triumph of justice. He was joined by Celestine Dickson, representing the Nigeria Police, who condemned the rising attacks on law enforcement officers and stressed that the ruling would serve as a deterrent to criminal elements targeting security personnel.

Akasco Amgbashim, elder brother of the slain officer, expressed relief at the verdict, thanking the judiciary, the state government, and the police for pursuing justice. He emphasized that the ruling should remind all that no one has the right to unlawfully take another person’s life.

The four condemned convicts were among 72 individuals originally arraigned before the court by a joint prosecution team from the Department of Public Prosecutions and the Rivers State Police Command. During the trial, 61 defendants, including traditional ruler Eze Kelvin Anugwo and former Ahoada East Council Chairman Cassidy Ikegbidi, were discharged and acquitted due to lack of evidence, leaving 13 to face final judgment.

Thursday’s verdict brings closure to a case that began with the tragic murder of SP Amgbashim, reinforced by joint security operations that later led to the killing of a suspected cult leader, David Okparanwo (“2Baba”), believed to have orchestrated the attack. The judgment is seen as a strong statement that violent crimes against law enforcement officers will not go unpunished.

Four Sentenced to Death for Murder of Ahoada DPO in Rivers

metro

Nigerian Army Rescues Eight Kidnapped Wedding Guests in Kano

Published

11 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Nigerian Army Rescues Eight Kidnapped Wedding Guests in Kano

Nigerian Army troops have successfully rescued eight of the ten people abducted during a wedding ceremony in Dabawa, Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, security sources confirmed on Thursday, February 12, 2026. The operation highlights the military’s ongoing efforts to combat banditry and kidnappings in northern Nigeria.

According to a credible Army Headquarters source, a group of gunmen dressed in military camouflage stormed the wedding on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, and forcibly abducted several guests. The assailants reportedly fled toward neighboring Katsina State after the attack.

READ ALSO:

Troops stationed at an ambush position along the Yankwada River line responded immediately after receiving a distress call, pursuing the kidnappers to Garu Village in Katsina. Contact with the fleeing gunmen was later lost along the Katsina–Gidan Mutum Daya road axis, but the operation led to the safe rescue of eight victims, who have now been reunited with their families.

Military authorities confirmed that efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining two victims still in captivity. Operations in the area continue to prevent further attacks and ensure the safety of local communities.

The rescue operation forms part of a broader counter-kidnapping strategy by the Nigerian military in Kano and neighboring states, aimed at protecting civilians and deterring banditry. Analysts say the swift response demonstrates the effectiveness of intelligence-led operations in combating organized kidnapping networks in northern Nigeria.

Residents have expressed relief and gratitude to the troops, urging continued vigilance and enhanced security measures at public events to prevent similar incidents in the future.