The General Overseer of Great Tabernacle Miracle Church of God, Ido-Osun, Osun State, Prophet Adeyemi Adeniran, yesterday, told a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, that four nurses he employed in his hospital framed him up to cover up N3 million fraud they allegedly perpetrated.
Adeniran is being prosecuted by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on a 12-count charge bordering on sexual exploitation, deceit and trafficking in persons. He was arraigned on January 14 and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
However, while being led in evidence in chief by his counsel, Adeniran disclosed that in 2021 he established a hospital with the aim of helping people by subsidising bills for them.
He said: “I employed some of my church members in the hospital and paid them a good salary. However, there was a time, I went to the hospital for an inspection and discovered that most of the medical equipment, including drugs, had been sold by my staff. I asked the matron of the hospital about it and she talked to me anyhow which made me leave in anger.”
“I discovered that all the drugs I bought about N3 million were no more and I said I was not interested in any hospital again. I sent my head of security to lock the place.
“The following day, the matron threatened me that I must open the hospital else, I should pay her money. She said I should pay her N25 million else she will blackmail me.
“I started hearing my matter on radio that I sexually assaulted my staff who are nurses in the hospital.
“My staff who came here to testify, including Olorunlanbe Easter, Dorcas Ajiboye, Bukky Ojolo and Nafisat claimed that I abused them sexually. They are lying because of the fraud they committed in the hospital. They are doing that as a cover-up.”
Under cross examination, Adeniran disclosed that he has the picture of the equipment and drugs that were sold by the nurse, adding that he has evidence that the matron asked him to pay her N25 million.
After taking his testimony, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel adjourned to September 23, for continuation of hearing.
