Elevation Church has spoken about the news making the rounds that it invested N500m in an alleged Ponzi Scheme by Imagine Lenders.
Gatekeepers News reports that The Elevation Church Nigeria has denied investing or having any business with Imagine Lenders.
Gatekeepers News had earlier reported that a couple is currently running with billions of Naira in investors’ funds. At the same time, efforts are being made by some persons to track them down in the United Kingdom, where it is believed they have been hiding.
Gatekeepers News was first alerted by a concerned Nigerian whose family members have their funds in the scheme. “The couple can’t be reached, but my people have been assured that their funds are safe and that we shouldn’t alert anyone, but I doubt if that’s the best way to go”, said our whistleblower.
One of those mentioned to have lost money Is Elevation Church.
Elevation Church is a Baptist Evangelical multi-site megachurch Church, led by Pastors Godman and Bolarinwa Akinlabi supported by a team of pastors and ministers.
Gatekeepers News contacted the church to hear their side of the story and confirm if they lost money to the fraud.
The church, when contacted around 11.57 am, promised to get back to the Gatekeepers News by 1 pm; when the reporter called back, the church was not responding as the call rang out.
The church has now, in a statement, denied the allegation.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Trustees of The Elevation Church has been drawn to an online news item purporting to directly link The Elevation Church (TEC) with a company known as Imagine Global Solutions Ltd (Imagine Lenders) as an investor; with an alleged investment sum of five hundred million naira.
“We would ordinarily not respond or indeed join issues on such matters in the media. However, to prevent the public from misconstruing the silence of the Church as an admission of the unfounded publication, we, recognising the Church’s moral and legal obligation of accountability, probity and transparency in the conduct of her affairs, have decided to provide this response.
“The Elevation Church is an Incorporated Trustee registered under the extant Companies and Allied Matters Act (‘CAMA’) with the object of charities and the advancement of the kingdom of God.
“In other words, the mandate of the Church for the past eleven years of existence has been centred around the propagation of the gospel of Christ and meeting the spiritual and physical needs of members and non-members through charitable outreaches and programmes.
“It is in view of the foregoing that we refute in its entirety the publication that the Church has any business interest or investment in Imagine Global Solutions Ltd.
“We urge the public to totally disregard the report as there is no iota of truth in the publication. The Elevation Church has no such investment whatsoever.”
