How Archbishop Stole My Land —Bizman

A businessman, Ignatius Ozorumba, on Thursday told a Lagos High Court in Ikeja how a self-acclaimed archbishop, John Okeke, 59, allegedly stole his land worth N7 million.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ozorumba made the allegation at the resumed trial of Okeke before Justice Aishat Opesanwo.

Okeke, founder of God’s Pentecostal Ministry Worldwide, Iba, Lagos was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a nine-count charge bordering on stealing, forgery, altering and impersonation.

Testifying in the case, Ozorumba, who was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mrs. Atinuke Daramola, said he was a former member of the defendant’s church.

He said sometime in 2005, Okeke informed him that the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) had instructed all persons allocated plots of land in Festac Town to pay their land rents.

Ozorumba, who is the director of Immortal Impex Limited, said he asked the archbishop to help him process the payment so that the land would not be revoked.

The witness said: “I gave him N200,000 to help me pay eight years rent at a cost of N25,000 per year, for my land known as “Plot H1”, located on 2nd Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos.

“I also gave him photocopies of the Title Deed and other relevant documents to facilitate the process.”

He said the defendant later told him to bring the original documents for “sighting” purposes by the authorities of the FHA and he complied.

According to him, after the defendant took the documents, he failed to return them, claiming that they were in the custody of the FHA.

He said he later discovered that the defendant had sold the property to the trustees of Mainland Motorcycle and Spare Parts Dealers Association for the sum of N7 million.

Ozorumba alleged that the archbishop had forged documents, including a change of ownership form purportedly issued by the FHA, to facilitate the transaction.

The witness further alleged that the defendant misled the buyers that he was the original owner of the property and had sold it since September 2005.

He said this led to a dispute between himself and the archbishop which prompted him to petition the EFCC.

NAN reports that the matter was adjourned to March 14 for his cross-examination.