Assemblies Of God Church Leaders Fight Dirty As N100bn Tears Them Apart

From Vanguard;

A faction of Assemblies of God Church has been dragged to
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, by the Assistant General
Superintendent, accusing the factional General Superintendent and six others of
alleged fraudulent conversion of funds running into billions of naira.

The Assistant General Superintendent, Rev. Ramsey
Ogagaoghene in a petition addressed to the EFCC noted that the factional
General Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Chidi Okoroafor and six others allegedly
embezzled over N100 billion belonging to the church, adding that Rev. Okoroafor
was the Assistant General Superintendent until March, 2014 when he could not account
for funds of the church and formed a parallel group that threw the church into
crisis.

On account of the petition dated September, 2015 submitted
to the Commission by Mr. Eli Ugwu, counsel to the petitioner and four others,
the group urged the Commission to investigate the alleged fraudulent conversion
of money and embezzlement of funds belonging to the church by Rev. Okoroafor
and his cohorts as they approved money for projects without due process of the
church, and allegedly executed such projects by themselves.

The petition read in part: “On behalf of the Assistant
General Superintendent, Rev. Ramsey Ogagaoghene, Bright Arukwe, Clement
Esochaghi, Oliver Udensi and Sunday Palma for and on behalf of pastors and
other concerned members of the church, we claim that Rev. Vincent Alaje, Rev.
Femi Adegoke, Mr. Dickson Ukpai, Mr. Michael Ugbor, Elder Mike Okoro and Tony
Ewelike engaged in illegal and unauthorized business without the approval of
the General Suprintendent.

“Alaje unilaterally spent about N115 million belonging to
the church, personally negotiated and concluded payments for three plots of
lands and has started developing the plots without the consent and authority of
the General Superintendent and other officers of the church.

“Alaje was fond of commandeering the money of the church,
approving same by himself, and authorized payments without the consent of the
General Superintendent. This was evidenced by his requisition of 5/4/2013 for
the sum of N1.5 million which he tagged, ‘Trip to Ibadan with family.’ The
unilateral stashing of fund was after the church magnanimously approved N2
million for him”

The petition further indicted Alaje of illegally collecting
N28.5 million as staff investment premium without any authorization, which
according to the report, was against the general council accounts procedures.
The petition further noted that the same amount was deposited into an account
with Diamond Bank.

Rev Ogagaoghene in the petition also prayed EFCC to question
Mr. Tony Ewelike on the N1.4 billion Assemblies of God Ministers Benefit
Scheme, AGMBS, which he was unable to account for. The petition further pointed
out that Rev. Femi Adegoke,, the former media director of the church should
also be investigated for allegedly defrauding the church of over N50 milliion.