Lagos pastor re-arraigned over alleged N85m fraud

The Police Special Fraud Unit on Monday re-arraigned Pastor Chris Anyalebechi, the General Overseer of a pentecostal church at a Federal High Court, Lagos, over alleged N85 million fraud.
Anyalebechi, who oversees Christ Glory International Gospel Centre, is being tried for conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.
The police had on September 5 arraigned the accused before a vacation judge, Justice Babs Kuewumi.
Following the transfer of the case to another court, the Prosecutor, Mr Effiong Asuquo, on Monday, re-arraigned the defendant before Justice Mohammed Idris.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The defence counsel, Mr George Ibekwe, moved a motion asking for bail for the pastor on liberal terms.
Justice Idris granted Ibekwe’s application and admitted the defendant to a bail of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
The judge ruled that the sureties must reside in Lagos and must depose to an affidavit of means and he
adjourned the case to Nov. 28 for trial.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendant committed the offences sometime between April 2014 and March 2015.
He said the defendant conspired with some other persons now at large to obtain the money from Nestor Nwankwo and his company — Zicozeen Nig. Ltd.
He alleged that the defendant had under false pretences presented himself to Nwankwo and his company, pretending to be in position to buy for them used ships and vessels.
The prosecutor further alleged that the defendant’s intention was to defraud the complainants.
The offences contravened the provisions of Section 8 (a) of the Advanced fee Fraud Act, 2008.