A 32-year-old pastor, Abel Benard Aniude of Trimphant Kings Assembly, Enugu, is in police custody for allegedly duping a 25-year-old woman, Ojiaku Chiamaka of N4 million.
According to reports, the pastor had promised to marry her and used marriage preparations as bait to fraudulently collect the money from her.
Narrating what happened to The Sun, Pastor Abel said he met Chiamaka on
Facebook
in December 2013 and promised to marry her. Afterwards, she started sending money to his bank account in Enugu.
“I visited her at Ibadan twice and collected the sum of N1million from her,” he said.
The 25-year-old sales girl Chiamaka and the suspect, Pastor Abel
According to him, he has been in ministry for five years and is jobless. He sent his wife packing with their two kids after she opposed his marrying a second wife.
He said: “I used part of the money Chiamaka was sending to buy a car and built a bungalow in my village at Nochele Ndeaboli in Aliri Local Government Area, Enugu State.
“I deceived her that I wanted to marry her on Christmas day, December 25, 2014. I also lied to her that I had a motor accident. I rescheduled it for February 14, 2015. I lied to her again that armed robbers attacked me. I rescheduled it for Easter period, April 4, 2015 before the police anti-kidnappers squad arrested my wife, my Pastor Sam Ezenagu before I was arrested.”
The cleric was nabbed by police detectives in Enugu at his address at No 42 Odudukoko street, Gariki Awkunanaw, area of the state, on April 13 following complaints filed by the victim.
The pastor’s younger brother, Tobias Aniude, who is in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery, also took part in the fraud.
Explaining his brother’s involvement, he said: “It was when I have duped her that I handed over her phone number to my younger brother, Tobias who is currently serving in Enugu prison yard. My younger brother called Chiamka and told her that the wedding invitation cards were ready but that I am not serious and he is ready to marry her and so she should send him money.”
Giving her own account, Chiamaka, who is in charge of her brother’s electrical appliances shop said the pastor deceived her into believing that he wanted to marry her.
She said: “I started to send N700,000 and N300,000 to Pastor Abel through his UBA and Diamond account numbers. In July 2014, Pastor Abel came to Ibadan and lodged in a hotel and after having sex with me, I gave him N300,000. Also on September, 2014, Pastor Abel came to Ibadan and lodged again in same hotel and after having sex with me, I gave him N700,000. I don’t know how I ended up sending N4 million into his bank accounts.”
She pleaded with her family to forgive her, saying she had learnt her lesson.
Confirming the incident, Mohammed Adamu, the state commissioner of police, said the Pastor and his younger brother were notorious for using Facebook to promise innocent women marriage and eventually dupe them.
Nigerian pastors have been involved in various scandals. Some have been accused of fraudulent activities while others are in the habit of going to bed with the women in their churches.
Some weeks back, a 50-year-old self-proclaimed pastor, John Ojebe, was arrested and charged to court for allegedly duping a woman, Hawo Umoru, of the sum of N390,000 under the pretence of selling her Adonai oil to wash her private parts.
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