Con-Artists Exposed at Synagogue Church

8/14/2019 Con-Artists Exposed at Synagogue Church

1/3

CON-ARTISTS EXPOSED AT SYNAGOGUE CHURCHA gang of con artists that specialise in using the name of Prophet TB Joshua inbilking people out of large sums of their hard-earned money was, penultimateSunday, exposed at The Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN.

One daring and long-running esca pade of the crooks came to a dramatic end when their

victim, Felix Doye Yabrifa, finally smelt a rat. The Bayelsa State based businessman wasreacting to the constant warning broadcast on SCOANs satellite television channel,Emmanuel TV, alerting viewers to the menace of people and churches who bandy theprophets name about for dubious purposes. He decided on a fact-finding mission to TheSynagogue after repeatedly hearing the warnings.

Four years ago, Yarbifa was in his Bayelsa base when a three-man group led by an old ladyarrived, uninvited. They told him they were specifically sent to him by Prophet TB Joshua toperform certain spiritual exercises that would last only three days. On the instruction of theprophet, they said, he (Yabrifa) should take care of them for the period the exercise lasted.Initially I was reluctant because of the cost implication of taking care of three persons hotelaccommodation, feeding and logistics, said Yabrifa, but when the name of Prophet TB

Joshua was mentioned, I had no alternative than to accommodate them.

First, he took them to his home where their initially proposed three-day stay stretched to awhole three weeks. Next, he moved them to a hotel. But a nightmarish four year spell for thehapless businessman was only just beginning. Eventually, well over three million Naira of hiscold, hard cash simply went down the drain during the whole ordeal.

Running Low On CashIt was as if the conmen had put a hex on Yabrifa. Willy-nilly, for eight months, he justcontinued to do the bidding of these strangers, continuously doling out cash to pay their hotelbills and taking care of their other needs. Then, he began to run low on cash, as his bills ran

up.As a last resort, he settled for a rented four- bedroom apartment into which hemoved his uninvited guests. As at when he addressed the congregation at The Synagogue

Church of All Nations that Sunday, they were still in the rented apartment in Bayelsa State.Continued Yabrifa, Each time they talked to me, it was like they put fear in me. So wherever Iwas, I will just have to bring out the money. Even when I was closing my account, I didnt evenknow.

Sacrifice To Marine Spirits The confident tricksters got even more daring and more diabolical. Their leader, the elderlylady, had Yabrifa believe that she was in constant touch with Pastor Joshua: She confirmed to

me that she was constantly in touch with the man of God and that they communicate in spiriton a daily basis, narrated the businessman, who also told the congregation of worshippers atthe church that the con-artists told him they the primary aim of their visit was to pray for thepeople of Bayelsa State and then put a stop to a refinery project that was having somefinancial problems.


2/3

Even as he continued to take care of them, they made new demands on Yabrifa and even hisFrance-based business partner who had waded into the matter, to bail his business associateout of his financial mess. From his partner, they demanded for N1million to be paid into theiraccount every month, and from Yabrifa himself, that the sum of N20,000 be given them everyweek. When his partner heard of the new demands, he protested. On his own part, Yabrifa sawthat despite all he was doing, there was no progress for the better, whatsoever. Besides, theywere introducing me to something contrary to what was happening in The Synagogue Church

by telling me to provide money to buy items for them to go and sacrifice to marine spiritshere and there, Yabrifa noted.

EmailFrom then on, the businessman could no longer fold his arms and swallow what he hadcondoned for four long years. He had also been hearing the announcements on Emmanuel TVand this heightened his suspicion. He quickly emailed The Synagogue Church to find out thetruth: When I heard the publications and broadcasts on Emmanuel TV, I became verysuspicious and decided to write this very email thinking that when I come here today, at leastI would know the truth, said he, brandishing a copy of the email he had written to TheSynagogue as he narrated his ordeal to the congregation.

To his greatest amazement, when he arrived at The Synagogue Church that Sunday, he raninto the ringleader of the group, an elderly woman who was fingered by the victim and wasquickly picked up by security agents. Funny enough, this afternoon I saw one of them so Isaid well, let me put this across to the man of God. She was brought into the church where

Yabrifa narrated his ordeal, then later taken to Kaiama with her victim, where the Emmanuel TV crew videoed all the locations where the fraud allegedly took place, to corroborate Yabrifasallegations. Finally, Yabrifa and the television crew returned to Lagos with the suspect and therest of her gang in tow.

Forgiveness and Deliverance The following Sunday the suspected conmen were brought to The SCOAN. First, a videorecording of the previous weeks encounter was played back for the congregation, to refreshtheir memory. The Emmanuel TVs trip to Bayelsa State was also played back for theaudience. Then, Yabrifa continued his story from where he stopped. Prophet TB Joshuaoccasionally interjected, as he spoke, on the recorded video: The person he is talking aboutmistakenly entered here today and they grabbed one of them he (Yabrifa) was alreadygoing, during the break. He just moved outside and he saw one. They would not enter thechurch, they are always hanging around

Finally, the prophet, describing the entire saga as irritating, asked that the narration bestopped, midway into the evidence of the second suspect, a tall, well-built, well-turned outmiddle-aged man that looked more like a respected tribal chief, than a con-artist. Heproceeded to administer prayers and deliverance on them, while thanking everyone in the

audience, especially Yabrifa and the people of Bayelsa Sate, for forgiving the suspectedculprits. Let us put all this behind us, he pleaded.

People of Bayelsa, thank you, continued the prophet, forgiveness is our key. Thank you forforgiving her and her group, may God strengthen your desire for Him. I know that if youpeople did not forgive her, today, the issue would have been a different question. And thankyou, my people, people of God, for forgiving her. The leader of the group, the elderly ladywho was first apprehended the previous week had her turn to speak. Looking a bit moreremorseful than the previous week when she was first apprehended, her statement was quitesimple: My name is Marina Patrick all the things wey him (Yabrifa) talk about me is true, Icarry him go water all the things wey him talk about me is true

Joshua used the occasion to preach the virtues of forgiveness to his congregation. When youlisten to the confessions, there is nothing we are trying to say than go and forgive those whosin against you. Thats all. We are indirectly communicating to you that you too should forgivethose who have sinned against you. No matter how big or small, forgive. Leave it for God. Godwill fight for you. We are only preaching to you the gospel of forgiveness.


3/3

BlackmailGoing down memory lane, Prophet TB Joshua told his congregation that there is nothing heand The SCOAN have not been accused of in the past. He recalled an incident that happenedin The Synagogue Church three years ago. A blind man had been healed and his sightrestored. As the man began to chant and praise God and give testimony, some people wentstraight to the man and offered him N1.2million, if he could just deny the miracle he receivedand declare it was fake. The man refused the offer of money and had to run away because

they wanted to kill him, said the prophet. He had to abandon his home because they saidthey would come at him. There are lots of things like that.

Meanwhile, during the same Sunday service, a newspaper which reported in its Tuesday May19, 2009 edition, that a woman and her son disappeared at The Synagogue Church Of AllNations, was displayed side by side the same woman who was reported to have gone missingwith her son.

Chiji Okafor

SOURCE: The National Life Vol. 1, No. 46 Sunday May 31

Documents

Con-Artists Exposed at Synagogue Church