Published 29th Dec, 2021

By Tola Owoyele

On December 17, Linda Mabi-Praise, senior pastor of Temple of Praise Women Fellowship Global, Surulere, Lagos, bagged a jail sentence, after she was found guilty of issuing fake cheques and obtaining funds by false pretence.

Mabi-Praise, charged with three counts, was said to have dishonestly obtained N128m from Accelsor Investment Partners Ltd. under the guise that her company, Mutano Energy Ltd., was into oil and gas business.

“She actually committed the fraud in 2017,” a source, who asked not to be named, told FIJ.

“However, after several petitions by the parties she had defrauded, she was eventually arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and first arraigned in court on March 18, 2019.”

Mabi-Praise was said to have pleaded not guilty when she was arraigned and this led to the commencement of her trial.

“This offence for which she has been sentenced is actually not the only fraud she perpetrated. She collected money under false pretence from other companies as well,” the source said.

“She told the companies she was a licenced diesel supplier and defrauded them up to the tune of one billion naira. She also issued dud cheques to the companies on three different occasions.”

Justice Sherifat Solebo of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos, found her guilty on two counts of obtaining funds by false pretence and issuance of false cheques.

“It is only God that knows those who genuinely serves Him. This is someone an entire church looked up to for spiritual direction. Anyone could have fallen victim in this particular case,” the source also said.

“The moment you hear she is a pastor, to an extent, you will want to believe she is genuine. How her victims will get their money back remains uncertain.”

Mabi-Praise was sentenced by the court to three years for obtaining funds by false pretence and two years for the issuing dud cheques. However, both terms are to run concurrently.

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