SaharaReporters gathered that the transaction was in connection with the proposed purchase of 2 hectares of land (5 acres or 30 plots) supposedly in the Epe area of the state.
Prophet Marcus Tibetan, a senior pastor of the Celestial Church of Christ and Elizabeth Akintonde, wife of Colonel Daniel Akintonde (retd.), a former military administrator (MILAD) of Ogun State, have been accused of defrauding one David Timileyin of N65.5 million for the purchase of land close to Dangote Refinery in Lagos.
SaharaReporters gathered that the transaction was in connection with the proposed purchase of 2 hectares of land (5 acres or 30 plots) supposedly in the Epe area of the state.
David, who is into real estate, cried out to the public to prevail on Prophet Tibetan to return his money.
He told SaharaReporters that the money invested in the land was all the money he had for his business.
He said, "Before now, Prophet Tibetan and I had been warmed in a father-son relationship. The prophet has been playing the role of a spiritual guide to me and I in turn placed so much premium on his anointing.
"He deferred to me a lot and I often took instructions from him. The relationship had gone so far and so deep that I trusted the prophet. On the other hand, Tibetan sees me as a son to complement the respect and honour accorded him.
"But that love and affection may no longer be there. It seems the scale is falling off my eyes and beginning to see the prophet in his true form. It is about a transaction in connection with the proposed purchase of 2 hectares of land (5 acres) 30 plots of land supposedly in Ketu, Epe area of the state.
"The amount involved is a whopping N65.5 million. The whole drama began when the prophet informed me of the availability of the land for sale. He told me that the land was owned by another church member, Mrs Akintonde, the wife of a former governor of Ogun State.
"But then, Prophet Tibetan offered himself as a go-between for the transaction. I showed interest in the land and told Prophet Tibetan that I would be willing to buy from the Property at the cost price which was put at N2 million per plot for the 30 plots and some additional cost which put the whole money at N65.5 million.
"I also told the prophet about my intention to get a lawyer to help me with the necessary investigation and confirmation of the transaction given the huge amount involved. But Prophet Tibetan who apparently was manipulative told me I would not need a lawyer since he was the one involved.
"I did not suspect any foul play. Because of the respect and trust I had for Tibetan, I did not hesitate to pay the N65.5 million cost of the land to him; to be transferred to Mrs Akintonde. All this happened sometime early last year.
"But a year after that I transferred the money, I am yet to be allocated the land and neither did I receive a receipt of payment nor any documentation to the land. Instead, I have been involved in a circus game with the duo of Akintonde and the prophet. The duo have since made me a pawn on their chessboard."
Trouble however began when David visited the land without the knowledge of Prophet Tibetan and discovered that the land was not what was described to him by Tibetan.
He said, "When Tibetan got to know that I took a trip to the land, he got so upset on the phone with me uttering statements that were unbecoming of a servant of God.
“’I don't forgive an adult when an adult offends me,' he told me. He was literally speaking at the top of his voice. This is because I had visited the land without his knowledge.
“The prophet told me the 30 plots of land were close to the Dangote refinery. But I have since discovered that the land is in the forest of Epe. Or is largely uncultivated land in the remote areas of Epe can't sell for more than N1 million per plot.
“Beyond that, I became uncomfortable with the whole deal when Prophet Tibetan expressed displeasure when I went to check the land.
“The prophet was furious when he got to know I went to check the land. It was like I had done something evil. That was after I had paid. I wonder why he was so annoyed that I went to check the land I paid for. It was when I saw the land that I discovered it was not the land they told me about.
"Apart from that, after I had paid the N65.5 million, the woman came up with another claim. She said the earlier price of N2 million per plot was a mistake, that the land actually cost is N5 million per plot. So for the 30 plots of land, I may have to pay N150 million.
"That was the point, I decided I was no longer interested in the land, more so, the location of the plots makes the charges ludicrous.
"Mrs Akintonde kept keeping me in abeyance; asking me to exercise patience, that the documents of the land and the receipt would be given to me. But she ended up blocking me and denied me access on the phone.
"I told the prophet that I was no longer interested and that I would prefer that my money be refunded to me. Rather than encourage the woman to refund the money, Prophet Tibetan has been playing the ostrich. At a point, he travelled out of the country and told the woman should stop further transactions until he came back.
"By the time he came back to the country, he could not get the woman to refund the money. Instead, he has been using subtle threats and blackmail. At a point, he told me even if the woman agrees to refund the funds what if she dies in the process, what would I do?
“He had also made several insinuations about an impending doom. He told me one time that there were people who built mansions and never lived in them. When he was trying to discourage me from getting a lawyer, he wondered if I had heard of cases of lawyers being killed or kidnapped.”
David who made available the audio of his interaction with Prophet Tibetan on the phone told SaharaReporters that he feared for his life and that the hope of getting his money refunded would get dimmer by the day if he failed to take drastic steps.
He said, “Before she blocked my number, she asked me to go and see the prophet since it was the prophet who collected money from me. I had to use a friend’s phone to reach her to put further pressure on her to return my money.
"To hasten the collection of my money, I have engaged the services of a lawyer who has written to Mrs. Akintonde asking for a refund.
"The lawyer, Mr. Ayo Durojaiye in his letter to Akintonde asking for a refund noted that the transaction is tainted with fraud
"Beyond that, he noted that Akintonde unilaterally changed the price of the land per plot from N2m to N5m.”
He said he discovered that the land was allocated to Akintonde by the Lagos State government for purely commercial purposes.
According to him, it was supposed to be for a petrochemical company. He noted that the plots of land were meant to be used for public interest and not to be sold to individuals as Akintonde had planned to do.
Elizabeth Akintonde is the Chairman of Midoil Refining and Petrochemicals Company Limited.
David said he would rather have his money back than go into an unending legal battle with his estranged ‘father in faith’.
"I want the public to prevail on Prophet Tibetan to return my money. I am not interested in a legal battle for now. I have to cry out to Nigerians who know the prophet and the government to help talk to the prophet to return my money. I am no longer interested in the land.
"The money is my entire business money. By the way, the land from my findings was allocated to Mrs Akintonde by the Lagos State Government for commercial purposes," he added.
Bank statements obtained by SaharaReporters from David Timilehin show that he sent over N60 million in instalments to the cleric from February to March 2022.
However, Prophet Marcus told SaharaReporters that he was just a middleman between the buyer and the seller.
He said David knew the woman (Akintonde) who sold the land to him and that he should go and meet her.
He said, "Somebody sold the land to David, I told him to pay the money through my account so that it will be his testimony. He paid the money into my account and I delivered the money to the person. The person came to me with a commission, and I told her I don't take any commission.
"Later the woman wrote a receipt, but David said his name was not well spelt. There were alterations on it. Also, the woman's typist wrote ‘hectares’ instead of ‘acres’; that was the argument. And I told them to go and sort it out by themselves.
"If David should go to court or CNN, I don't have any case with him, I didn't take any of his plots or beg him for money. David knows the woman that sold the land to him, he should go and meet her. I am no more in the matter.”
Mrs. Akintonde told SaharaReporters that she didn't have anything to do directly with David.
“I don't know David; I think you should direct your enquiries to the person who collected the money from him. Let David tell you whom he paid to. The prophet cannot direct him to me; if he paid money to someone, why is he not asking the person for a refund, why me," she queried.
Meanwhile, Barr. Ayo Durojaiye, the victim's counsel told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Akintonde confirmed to him that he received money from David through Prophet Marcus.
He said, "We met in her lawyer's office in Ikeja. At the meeting in the presence of her lawyer, she confirmed receiving money from David through Prophet Marcus.”
"She told me that she had made up her mind to refund the money because David had been calling and insulting her and she didn't want to have any business with David again," he added.