LAGOS, Nigeria – Prophet Marcus Tibetan of the Celestial Church of Christ faces accusations of a N65 million land scam perpetrated against a member of his congregation. The alleged victim, David Timileyin, claims he was promised land near the recently inaugurated Dangote Refinery in Lagos state, a promise that has yet to materialize.
Timilehin, a real estate businessman, described his relationship with Tibetan as that of a father and son, with Tibetan serving as his spiritual guide.
He claims that in 2022, Tibetan informed him of the availability of two hectares of land (30 plots) in Lagos state’s Ketu, Epe area.
The land supposedly belonged to Omolara Akintonde, a former first lady of Ogun state and fellow church member. The total cost of the land, including additional costs, amounted to N65.5 million.
“Upon expressing interest in the land, Tibetan offered himself as the mediator for the transaction,” Timileyin said.
Despite Timileyin’s wishes to enlist a lawyer due to the significant sum involved, the prophet assured him that legal counsel was unnecessary.
According to Timileyin, he paid the full amount to Tibetan, expecting it to be transferred to Akintonde. Yet, a year later, he has received no land, receipt of payment, or documentation of ownership.
Instead, Timileyin has been mired in a seemingly endless back-and-forth with Tibetan and Akintonde.
“Neither of them have denied receiving money from me. The transaction evidence is there in the audio,” Timileyin stated.
Further confusion arose when Timileyin visited the land in question without Tibetan’s knowledge.
Rather than being near the Dangote Refinery as described, he found that “the land is in the forest of Epe. It is largely an uncultivated land in the remote areas of Epe which can’t sell for more than N1 million per plot.”
Despite requesting a refund and engaging a lawyer, Timileyin has yet to receive his money. In response to the allegations, Prophet Tibetan categorically denied receiving any funds, suggesting that Timileyin should seek a refund directly from Akintonde.
“Then, I told Timileyin and the woman that my job of connecting them is done and I’m no longer involved in the deal,” Tibetan said in a phone interview with The Cable.
Contradicting Tibetan’s claim, the online platform reports, bank statements provided by Timileyin show about N63 million was sent to the prophet in instalments between February and March 2022. As of now, attempts to contact Akintonde for comments have been unsuccessful.
As this scandal unfolds, it sends shockwaves through the community and casts a shadow over the Celestial Church of Christ. The faithful and the public await to see the outcome of this high-profile land dispute.
