Church’s Accountant Bags 18-Year Jail Term For Stealing Tithe And Offering

A federal high court in Yola, Adamawa state, has sentenced
Ibrahim Aku, accountant of the Church of Brethren in Nigeria, to 18
years in prison for fraud.

Nathan Musa, the judge, gave the order while ruling on a
six-count charge filed against the accused, on Monday.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had accused
Aku of defrauding the church of N15.5 million between 2016 and
2018.

According to the anti-graft agency, the money was generated by
the church members through offerings, donations and tithes.

Delivering the judgement, Musa convicted Aku on charges of
forgery and obtaining money by false pretense.

The church accountant, who pleaded guilty to the charges, was
sentenced to 18 years in prison without an option of fine.

The judge also ordered Aku to pay back the money as restitution
to the church, adding that the proceeds of the crime recovered in
the course of the investigation should be sold and the funds should
be remitted to the church.

Reacting to the judgement, Bello Bajoga, an EFCC official, said:
“The convict was entrusted with church money and he ended up
diverting the money and forged tellers and presented same as
genuine, to serve as evidence of payment of the remittance,” he
said.