Reported by: Ime Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In a chilling testimony at the Federal High Court in Jos, a 42-year-old civil servant, Dajok Dakung Godfrey, has described how he lost ₦3.9 million after investing in what he believed was a legitimate savings scheme run by the Fadama Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society. The revelations came on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, during the trial of Okewole Dayo and Bishop Jonas Katung, who are facing a 23-count charge for allegedly obtaining funds under false pretence, amounting to ₦178,885,000.
Godfrey told Justice Sharon T. Ishaya that his entry into the scheme followed a televised appeal in May 2010, during which Bishop Katung invited the public to join the cooperative. As a man of faith, Godfrey said, he trusted the message and subsequently purchased the registration form on June 4, 2010, for ₦1,000. He made an initial deposit of ₦400,000 and continued to contribute until his total contributions reached ₦3.9 million.
He explained that the cooperative initially paid a 10 percent monthly interest on deposits — a return he received up until December 2011. Thereafter, payments ceased. Efforts by members to seek redress only began in 2012, when suspicions grew about the viability of the scheme.
A meeting convened at Lamond Hotel in Jos, which the cooperative reportedly organised to placate anxious depositors, ended with assurances from Bishop Jonas that the matter would be resolved. But, according to Godfrey, “nothing came out of it.”
To support his claims, the witness presented original payment receipts — later admitted as Exhibit H — which bore his name and showed the amounts contributed. He also identified a written statement he submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on August 14, 2014, marked as Exhibit PW3A. Additionally, Godfrey claimed that the cooperative deducted a 1 percent monthly levy — amounting to ₦261,000 from his funds — purportedly for administrative charges.
Under cross-examination, defence counsel challenged key aspects of Godfrey’s evidence. Notably, they pointed out that he never made any direct payment to Dayo in person, and that Dayo’s name does not appear in the cooperative’s official by-laws as secretary. The witness conceded that he only became aware of Dayo when the crisis erupted. He also acknowledged that the televised presentation did not mention any business partners associated with the cooperative.
When questioned about his prior relationship with Bishop Jonas, Godfrey revealed he only knew him as a religious figure and had attended at least one of his services — though he could not recall the date. Although he saw Bishop Jonas at a later settlement meeting, he did not take any minutes of that gathering.
With no re-examination, Justice Ishaya adjourned the trial until February 19, 2026, for continuation.
As this case proceeds, many investors who trusted the Fadama Cooperative scheme await a reckoning. For Godfrey — and possibly dozens of others — the hope lies in a verdict that delivers justice and recovers lost savings.
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