Policemen attached to the Lagos state police command have arrested a white garment church pastor identified simply as Philip, 32, over allegations that he fraudulently obtained the sum of N316, 000 from a member of his church, a certain Mr. Uche. Pastor Philips who claimed to be the founder of the church located at a community in Ogun State was arrested after his member one Mr. Uche informed the police.
Mr. Uche a baker in Lagos State said he was deceived by his pastor who said that he would die soon if he failed to carry out a ritual but unknown to him, Pastor Philips set him up and used fake prophesy to obtain the money from him under false pretences. Mr. Uche said: “I have known Pastor Philips for a long time.

He has been praying for me to succeed in life. I went to him for prayers and he gave me a red candle to burn in my house. After about three weeks, I decided to light the candle overnight. I was shocked when I woke up the next morning and saw two cat eyeballs and two needles in the wax of the burnt candle.

I was terrified and I called him about the cat eye balls and needles. “He told me it was a bad sign that could lead to my death. He told me to meet him at Ajangbandi and I went there only for him to tell me to come to a place close to Badagry. I went there and he told me that I had to pray and make sacrifice for three days. He added that each of the sacrifice will cost N200, 000. I begged him that I did not have such money.

He later reduced it toN300, 000. He said he would buy a goat and other ingredients for the rituals. He also told me he would cleanse my house from the evil lurking to kill me. “He came back and demanded more money and I gave him N16, 000. I later told a friend about the rituals and he told me I had been duped. He said he had similar experience with the pastor.

I invited the pastor to come and take more money and when he came I told him how disappointed I was in him. I went on to call the police to arrest him. I am disappointed. I will never trust any pastor or Imam ever again.” Narrating why he defrauded his member, Pastor Philips said financial hardship led him to crime. He said. “I started my church since 2002. I am a painter but I got the calling of God to start a church.

Uche is my member and I have been praying for him to succeed in life. I needed N36, 000 to pay for house rent and I did not know what to do. I was lamenting to a friend known as Abbey and he told me to deceive Uche to get money from him. He was the one that gave me the idea to put cat eyeballs and needles in the candle I gave Uche.

I pretended that the candle would help him succeed in busines but when he saw the eyeballs and candles, he was scared and I took advantage of his fear and told him he would die. Unknown to him I planned everything with my friend Abbey so as to get money from him. Luck ran out on me and I was exposed and arrested.”