Pastor Emmanuel Omale has personally commented on the allegation that he laundered money for Ibrahim Magu, the suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Omale, founder of the Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry, Abuja, earlier spoke through his lawyer, Gordy Uche.
He has now revealed that Magu and other Muslims visit his church and sleeps there to talk to God.
Last week, the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets (PCARA) said Magu purchased a property in Dubai using Omale’s name.
In a sermon to his congregation, Omale insisted that the allegation against him was a lie.
The cleric insisted that he didn’t “launder money for anybody, it is a lie from the pit of hell. I have sons all over the world and I pray for them. They call me for advice, for counselling and I pray for them and beyond”.
The Cable quoted him as declaring that his church altar is for everybody.
“Omale said it is for Muslims, for pagans “and Ibrahim Magu is not the only Muslim that used to come here, sleep here, talk to God, and they have result. I’m not surprised, Jesus went through this, Jesus was persecuted, if Jesus was not persecuted they won’t hear his name.”
The pastor advised members of the public that didn’t know him to “know Omale now”.
He added that, “People that don’t want to hear about pastor before, as they heard ‘pastor launder money’, they will go to my YouTube page and they will see the power of God there and they will become my son again.”
Omale boasted that there is nobody that will watch his page “and not follow me by force. There is nobody that will see my face that will not love me. My face was everywhere. No doubt about it, I can’t deny him like the way I cannot deny all of you.”
Meanwhile, Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has demanded that the sitting President of Nigeria hands off the appointment of EFCC Chairman.
The body advocated review of the EFCC Act, noting that this would ensure effective corruption war.
The group, in a statement by the President, Goodluck Ibem and Secretary, Kanice Igwe, observed that Nigerians have been complaining how governments use EFCC to hunt down political enemies.
They said EFCC, created under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, had failed to meet expectations of the people.
COSEYL noted that in most cases, certain persons, mostly party members in power, are the proverbial “sacred cows”.
The group insisted that the structure of the commission could hardly enable it to function independently as long as its chairman remained an appointee of the executive.
Noting EFCC successes, the coalition regretted that it was yet to prove its effectiveness in fighting the economic crimes in Nigeria which appeared to be escalating daily.