2 BISHOPS, 3 PASTORS IN POLICE NET FOR IMPERSONATION

2 Bishops, 3 pastors in police net for impersonation

By Christopher Oji
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Two Bishops and three other pastors have been arrested by the police for allegedly impersonating the Nigerian Army.

The clerics are all general overseers of different churches in Lagos. The pastors were said to have been duping people with Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) Go Army Net Work.

Daily Sun reliably gathered that the pastors were wearing army uniforms with different ranks when they were arrested.

Daily Sun further gathered that the founder of the NGO, Bishop Maccran Ransome, of the Apostolic Church Mission had been swindling other pastors who he promised that his NGO would enhance their connection internationally.

Daily Sun was informed that Bishop Ransome was collecting the sum of N80,000 to register his victims with the NGO.

He was said to have lied to his victims that he was working directly with the Directorate of Army Chaplain.

His victims were given Army uniforms of different ranks, while he wore the rank of a commander general.

Trouble started for the bishops and their accomplices when some pastors that they registered in their organisation decided to go to the Nigerian Army to find out, if the claims of the founder that he was working with the Nigerian Army was genuine.

It was revealed that the Army who denied knowing him stormed his office at Araka Barracks where he was picked up with other accomplices. The Army later handed them over to the police.

Lagos State Police spokesman, Mr Frank Mba, who confirmed the arrest said Bishop Ransome had swindled many people of several millions of money.

He said the bishops and other pastors arrested would be charged to court for forming an illegal organisation, impersonation and for being in possession of military apparatus.

He gave the names of the suspects as Bishop Maccran Ransome of Apostolic Church, Bishop Ray Bakare of Liberty House of God Mission, Rev. Dr. Hassan Emmanuel, Prophet Sunday Ofordu and Pastor Robinson Igboradion.

One of the arrested pastors, Robinson Igboradion said Bishop Ransome swindled them of over N4 million.

He said he lied to them that the NGO was registered with the Army.

He claimed he joined the association with good intention but that he started being suspicious of the NGO when Bishop Ransome refused to take them to the Army Chaplain who he claimed was his link to an international organisation.

He said: 'we meant personally to find out about the NGO at the Nigerian Army where we were arrested.'