Awobola
Babatunde, a security man with the Redeemed Christian Church of God
(RCCG), has been arrested and charged to court for trying to impersonate
the General Overseer of the church, Pastor E.A. Adeboye.
Babatunde was arraigned before an Ebutte Metta magistrates’ court over
allegations of opening an account in Pastor Adeboye’s name and
attempting to cash a cheque of N600,000.
He committed the offence on June 6 at No. 1/9, Redemption Way, Ebutte
Metta, where he allegedly stole a Fidelity Bank cheque valued at
N600,000, belonging to the RCCG General Overseer.
“The accused falsely presented himself as Pastor Adeboye by opening a
savings account at Aguda, Surulere branch of Fidelity Bank in his name.
“He opened the account in order to cash the cheque and convert the money to personal use.
“Babatunde also opened the account in order to be stealing money from
the church as they plan to pay in more cheques,” Mr Aghoi Gbemileke, the
police prosecutor told the court.
The security guard, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In her ruling, the magistrate, Mrs B. Folarin-Williams, admitted the
accused to a bail of N100,000 in addition to two sureties in like sum.
The sureties, she said, must be blood relations of the accused and must
also produce evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State government as
part of the bail conditions.
The case was adjourned till August 4.