Pastor Sells Off Church Property and Escapes With The Money; Arrested In Lagos

The General Overseer, Christ Citizen Glorious
Assembly Church in Lagos, Pastor Ikechukwu
Ezeiru has been arraigned before an Ebute
Meta Chief Magistrate's Court for selling the
church building and landed property located
in Lagos and escaping with all the money
realized from the illegal act.
The same Pastor Ezeiru had earlier been
brought before the same court for defrauding
member of his church identified as Ifeanyi
Ohazurume of N7m.
Giving evidence in the latest case,
Police said: 43yrs old Pastor Ezeiru sold
the church building and land on Plots
9A and 9B, Family Estate, Ago Palace
Way, Okota, Lagos, after which he
absconded with the proceeds of the
sale.
The church trustees – Ifeanyi
Ohazurume, Stella Johnson, George
Ndubuisi and Ozuruonye Onwuka –
reported the matter to the police and a
manhunt was launched for the pastor
since March 2013. He was caught in
later April, 2014, and arraigned on three
counts of fraudulent sale of property
and stealing.
Pastor Ezeiru was said to have sold the
church building for N7.5m, while the land
was sold for N5m.
The charges read in part, "That you, Pastor
Ikechukwu Ezeiru, and others at large, being
the General Overseer of a church known as
Christ Citizen Glorious Assembly Church, Plots
9A and 9B, Family Estate, Ago Palace Way,
Okota, Lagos, in the month of March 2013, in
the Lagos Magisterial District with intent to
defraud, did sell church building and land,
property of Christ Citizen Glorious Assembly,
represented by the trustees, Ifeanyi
Ohazurume, Stella Johnson, George Ndubuisi
and Ozuruonye Onwuka.
"That you being the General Overseer of a
church known as Christ Citizen Glorious
Assembly Church, Plots 9A and 9B, Family
Estate Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, did steal
the sum of N7,500,000, property of the
church…."
Police prosecutors said the offences were
punishable under sections 409, 324, 285 of
the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria,
2011. But Pastor Ezeiru pleaded not guilty.
Chief Magistrate Mrs. A.A. Demi-Ajayi,
granted him bail in the sum of N1m with two
sureties in like sum.
He will remain in prison custody until he
meets the bail condition. Full trial will
commence on May 26, 2014.