Pastor Bolaji Idowu, the Lead Pastor of Harvesters International Christian Center (HICC), has been detained by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja. He is being investigated for his alleged involvement in a N1.5 billion real estate fraud and money laundering.
According to police sources, the case involves one of his pastors, who allegedly defrauded people through a real estate scheme.
"The case emanated from one of his pastors who duped several people in a real estate scheme," a police source disclosed.
The investigation revealed that large sums of money from the scheme were traced to both the church’s account and Pastor Idowu's personal account.
"The police investigation showed that several billions of naira in the scheme were traced first to Pastor Bolaji's church account and later to his personal account," the source added.
Pastor Idowu founded HICC in December 2003. Over time, the church has grown, with locations in Nigeria, the UK, and the US, attracting over 70,000 worshippers online and onsite, according to the church’s website.
His "Next Level Prayers" platform encourages participants to develop a consistent prayer life.
Further updates reveal that Pastor Idowu will remain in custody overnight while investigations continue.
