Reported by: Ime Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Henry Owen
A prosecution witness, Fasaki Olutayo Jacob, on Thursday narrated before Justice Sharon T. Ishaya of the Federal High Court, Jos, how he allegedly lost his life savings to two defendants, Okewole Dayo and Bishop Katung Jonas, under the guise of investing in Fadama Multi-purpose Cooperative Society.
Dayo and Jonas are standing trial on a 23-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of ₦178,885,000 (One Hundred and Seventy-Eight Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand Naira).
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Ibrahim Buba, the 68-year-old retired civil servant testified as the second prosecution witness (PW2) and told the court that he first encountered Bishop Katung through a televised sermon on Plateau Radio and Television (PRTV).
“I got to know Bishop Katung through Plateau TV where I watched one of his sermons. The message he delivered that day made me believe that Fadama Multi-purpose Cooperative Society was real,”
the witness told the court.
Jacob said he later visited the Maranata Church at No. 10 Miyangu Street, Jos, where he met Bishop Katung in person and was convinced to invest in the cooperative, which was presented as a faith-based investment platform.
“I was directed to the Secretariat where I met the first defendant, Dayo, who told me that all monies should be paid through Fadama Multi-purpose Cooperative Society. I went to the bank, Dadin Kowa Microfinance Bank, made payment of ₦1 million, and was issued a receipt. Later, in June 2011, I added ₦200,000, making a total of ₦1.2 million,”
Jacob testified.
He explained that investors were promised a 10% monthly return, with small record cards issued to document interest payments. However, by 2012, the payments stopped, and the defendants began offering excuses.
The witness recounted that Dayo later summoned investors to a meeting at Lamide Hotel, Jos, where he pleaded for patience, while Bishop Katung appeared again on television promising repayments that never materialized.
As frustrations grew, investors gathered at the cooperative’s office demanding refunds. According to Jacob, police had to intervene to prevent Dayo from being attacked by angry depositors.
“The police asked us to nominate some representatives to meet them at the headquarters. I was among those selected, along with Suleiman Kwalla, a pastor, and three others,”
he said.
He added that when police efforts failed, the matter was referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation. Both defendants made statements to the EFCC and attended a reconciliation meeting with investors.
“At the meeting, Bishop Katung promised that the cooperative had assets and even gave us a copy of a landed property document. He said we could help find a buyer so he could pay investors. But when the property was sold, we didn’t get any money,”
Jacob told the court.
The prosecution tendered a receipt issued to Jacob, which was admitted in evidence as Exhibit F.
Under cross-examination, the witness confirmed that his statement to the EFCC in 2012 was true but clarified that Dayo was not part of the televised sermon that influenced his investment.
After the testimony, Justice Ishaya discharged the witness and adjourned the case to December 10 and 11, 2025, for continuation of trial.
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