Conversion of N49.6m: Absence of witness stalls trial of ‘Tuesday Tuesday’ church Prophet

The absence of an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) witness has stalled the trial of the Founder of Power of the
Holy Ghost Evangelical Ministry a.k.a ‘Tuesday Tuesday Church’,
Prophet Cletus Ilongwo who was accused of swindling a member of his
church of N49.6million.

During resumed sitting of the court on Monday, the prosecuting
counsel for the EFCC, Mr Nkemruwem Anana, told the court that the
witness who is an EFCC official had traveled for a course.

Anana told the trial judge, Justice Sherifat Solebo the witness
has not returned from the trip.

He also told the court that the commission had earlier informed
the counsel to the defendant, Mrs Titilola Akinlawon (SAN) that the
matter may not likely hold and that they were likely to ask the
court for an adjournment.

Responding to the submission of the EFCC counsel, the defence
counsel, Mrs Akinlawon noted that the EFCC had consistently delayed
the trial.

Akinlawon recalled that the prosecution counsel has also failed
to file the additional information of the witness which was the
basis for the last adjournment.

“Every adjournment has been at the instance of the prosecution,
the have been delaying the matter. I want the court to bear in mind
the conduct of the prosecution when this matter is concluded,”
Akinlawon said.

Anana, however denied that the prosecution was delaying the
trial and said that he will file required document in court and
will also serve the Akinlawon a copy of the document.

Justice Solebo adjourned the case until Feb. 6, for continuation
of trial.

Prophet Ilongwo was arraigned on November 5, 2018 and had plead
not guilty to an 11-count charge of unlawful conversion of
property.

According to the EFCC, Ilongwo committed the offences between
January and April 2016.

The EFCC alleged that prophet Ilongwo collected the funds from
one Obinna Ezenwaka on the pretext that he would help m purchase a
property located 165c, Diamond Estate Amuwo Odofin.

He however failed to purchase the same property.

Anana alleged that the funds were collected from Ezenwaka
through Ilongwo’s Bank account 1003455899.

VIDEO: Furious Gov Zulum Accuses Soldiers of Extortion
in Borno Highway
Video

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has accused
security personnel of the Nigeria military and police of collecting
bribes of N1000 from travellers who do not have national identity
cards.

The governor made the accusation when he visited the
Maiduguri-Damaturu highway where thousands of travellers were
stranded because security officials manning the highway locked it
down.

The highway is relatively the safest access in and out of
Maiduguri, despite suffering repeated Boko Haram attacks recently.
Upon reaching the Maiduguri entrance checkpoint, located near the
Borno State University, the governor met hundreds of vehicles
queued up on both sides of the lanes.

“This is unacceptable,” Mr Zulum said speaking on top of his
voice.

“How can you subject people to this kind of torture all in the
name of National ID card? And you are all here collecting N500 and
N1000 from poor travellers who don’t have national ID card.”

By PRNigeria^[1]