A Nigerian journalist residing in the United Kingdom has brought attention to Samson Dunamis, a pastor based in Abuja, accusing him of failing to refund him N200,000 following a business deal that went awry.
Preferring to maintain anonymity, the journalist informed FIJ that this matter had persisted for two years. He claimed that Pastor Dunamis evaded his responsibility and made no genuine attempts to provide a full refund.
“The pressure from FIJ made him pay a part of what he owed me. He wanted to save his face. But after he made that payment in May, he blocked me,” the journalist told FIJ on Friday.
He said that if FIJ had not intervened in April, in fact, the pastor would not have refunded N300,000 out of the original N500,000 he gave him in 2021.
Recounting how he struck a deal with the pastor, he said his connection with the pastor was established through Facebook, after which he decided to invest in a business venture with Pastor Dunamis in June 2021.
As time went on, he began attending events organised by Dunamis during which the pastor introduced a concept involving the sale of plots of land.
WWW.SEARCHNG.NG – Search on Sells.ng Nigeria's First Ecommerce Shopping Search Engine ...For More About This Post: Inside the Instagram World of Christ Embassy’s ‘Brother Jeremy Woyens’ Who Disappeared with Investors’ Funds
The journalist clarified that the business arrangement entailed purchasing land at a discounted rate from native Abuja residents, obtaining the required government documentation for ownership, and subsequently selling the plots at a higher price.
The journalist’s receipt after he sent the money to Pastor Dunamis
“On June 1, 2021, Dunamis approached me with a deal requiring an approximate sum of N700,000 for completion. He proposed that if I contributed N500,000, he would reimburse me N700,000 within a period of seven to ten days,” the journalist explained to FIJ.
Despite not being physically present in Abuja at the time, the journalist proceeded to transfer the funds to Dunamis without a written agreement, placing his trust in the pastor’s verbal assurance. However, as time elapsed, Pastor Dunamis failed to fulfill his commitment.
“After some time, Pastor Dunamis mentioned being entangled in a matter with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), though he provided no specific details. Despite this setback, I chose to exercise patience as he requested,” the journalist elaborated.
“Last year, when I left for the UK to pursue my master’s degree, I informed him about my need for the funds to cover my travel expenses.
“He assured me not to be concerned due to the upcoming election, expressing optimism that he would manage to repay me, citing connections with politicians he was offering prayers for.
WWW.SEARCHNG.NG – Search on Sells.ng Nigeria's First Ecommerce Shopping Search Engine ...For More About This Post: How HoneyPays’ Jeremy Woyens Left Investors Bitter before Disappearing with their Millions
“Extending him the benefit of doubt, I patiently awaited his repayment, only to be disappointed by his failure to uphold his word.”
Pastor Dunamis’ refund of N300,000 to the journalist in May, 2023.
The frustrated journalist revealed that he attempted to contact the pastor on Facebook in January, only to discover that the pastor had blocked him.
“After I questioned this blockage on Instagram, Pastor Dunamis denied taking such action. However, he subsequently blocked me on Instagram. It was then that I realised he was taking my situation lightly,” he remarked.
FIJ initially reached out to Pastor Dunamis in April for a response. He gave assurances that payment would be made after some time, a promise he eventually fulfilled in part in May.
Furthermore, he committed to reimbursing the journalist within a brief time frame, a pledge that remains unfulfilled.
At the time of this publication, efforts to reach Dunamis proved unsuccessful. The pastor’s phone remained unreachable and he had not replied to messages directed to him.
The post Pastor Samson Dunamis Fails to Pay N200,000 Debt to UK-Based Journalist Since 2021, Blocks Him appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.