By Atoyebi Nike
A prosecution witness, Sulaiman Kwalla, on Tuesday told the Federal High Court sitting in Jos how Bishop Katung Jonas, alongside Okewole Dayo, manipulated religious influence and media broadcasts to defraud thousands of investors in the Covenant Fadama Multi-purpose Cooperative Society.
Testifying before Justice Sharon T. Ishaya, Kwalla said he and his wife were convinced to invest ₦300,000 based on promises made during Bishop Katung’s church sermons and TV adverts. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the bishop and Dayo, chairman and secretary of the cooperative respectively, on a 23-count charge bordering on obtaining ₦178.8 million by false pretence.
Kwalla explained that the promises of a 10% monthly return and the religious image of Bishop Katung persuaded him to invest in 2012. But after the first month, no returns were paid, leading to protests by angry investors at the Jos office.
The witness recalled a chaotic scene on June 4, 2012, when a crowd stormed the office demanding refunds. Dayo was rescued by police and later detained. A meeting followed, during which Bishop Katung acknowledged his role and promised repayments, which never materialized.
“He later introduced schemes like Lanre Global Concept and Global View, claiming they would recover our funds or trade in forex, but they all failed,” Kwalla testified.
He further told the court that investors, through their lawyer Solomon Dalung, petitioned the EFCC after losing over ₦8 billion across 44,000 people.
Though his ₦200,000 was eventually refunded, his wife’s ₦100,000 remains unpaid. Efforts by EFCC counsel to tender receipts and petitions were opposed by the defense on legal technicalities.
Justice Ishaya adjourned the matter till Wednesday, July 23, 2025, for ruling on the admissibility of documents and continuation of trial.
