Chris Okafor in religious dispute with church member

July 07 (THEWILL) – Michael Omolayo Ibukun, a former member of Grace Nation Church International, Lagos, and the founder and General Overseer of the church, Dr. Chris Okafor, are at loggerheads over the resources of the church. The problems between the two started when Ibukun wrote a petition to the police claiming he was cheated by the church.

Ibukun, who was a member of the church’s protocol team, alleged that two cars were forcibly taken away from him and sold to unknown persons. In his petition, Ibukun alleged that Grace Nation Church refused to pay him the 50 million naira it owed him for the diesel his company, Blessed Energy Resources Limited, supplied to the church a few months ago. The petition also included a demand that the cars taken from him by the church be returned and the money owed to him from the diesel sale be fully refunded.

Reacting to the allegations, the church said it had no response to give as everything stated in the petition was lies and slander against the church. The church claimed that the said cars were voluntarily given by Ibukun along with the original documents as an offering to God. Joyful and in an exuberant mood over the blessings he had received from God, Ibukun decided to throw the car keys on the altar after giving a testimony during a church service that was livestreamed about three years ago.

According to the statement, God broke the curse of his lineage having no male children when his wife conceived and bore him a son following the prayers of the General Overseer of the church. The church also states that it is outraged that Ibukun claims he is owed 50 million naira for the diesel fuel he supplied to her when in reality he was paid all the money owed to him for the few times he did business with the church. The church also claims that Ibukun recently approached the GO asking for a loan of 10 million naira to revive his business and although he could not offer him that help because huge funds have been channelled into the church’s reconstruction and expansion project in 2023, the cleric still sought a way out for him by referring him to his bank.

Unfortunately, the bank could not help because, according to GO, Ibukun failed to convince the bank that he would be able to repay the loan as he was considered uncreditworthy.

Church authorities also faulted Ibukun on the issue of offerings and tithes. They said the church does not compel people to donate and that the church abhors the practice of altar calls, where members or visitors are asked to park their cars or properties. Therefore, it is sheer contradiction to assume that Ibukun was asked to do so.

The GO claims that Ibukun is currently on the run because he defrauded two members of his church of a total of eleven million naira and therefore does not deserve the sympathy he has desperately sought from the public with his web of lies and deliberate false reports.