Ekiti woman sentence to 12-year in prison for scamming the Deeper Life church.

Sade Otenuga, 40, was sentenced to 12 years in jail by an Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, for fraud and stealing.

The woman claimed to possess a building, which is not true, that she later sold to the Deeper Life Bible Church.

On count one (fraud), the court sentenced her to seven years in prison and five years on count two (stealing).

The court offered a fine alternative of N2,000,000 for count two, notwithstanding the fact that the two sentences would run concurrently.

According to the two counts, the defendant obtained N620,000 from a DLBC pastor, Oso Olugbenga, in Ado Ekiti between April 6 and 8, 2021 with the intent to cheat, and also "during the same period did steal a sum of N620,000 belonging to the said Oso Olugbenga."

Sections 1(3) and 11 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, as well as Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria, were violated.

"Between the 6th and 8th April, 2021, I transferred N620,000 to the woman who claimed to own a damaged building in the Dalimore area of Ado Ekiti," Olugbenga testified before the court. The church chose to buy the building since it had become a haven for local criminals. The woman also instructed the church to demolish the structure, despite the fact that she was not the legal owner. After the church found fraud in the transaction, all attempts to retrieve the funds were futile."

Samson Osobu, the police prosecutor, produced three witnesses and presented a written plea to the police, a letter to First Bank Nigeria Plc, the convict's statement, and N100,000 cash as exhibits, among other things.