Former Pastor Ebenezer Oduntan Sentenced To 6.5 Years For €125,000 Fraud, Theft

Ebenezer Oduntan

125k Fraud Landed RCCG Pastor 6-year Prison Sentence In Ireland

Ebenezer Oduntan, a Nigerian, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison after being found guilty of many embezzlement and fraud offenses totaling over €125,000 from his Kildare-based church.

Oduntan, a former pastor of the City of David Church in Naas, County Kildare, was found guilty on 87 counts of fraud and theft at the Naas Circuit Criminal Court after a trial.

The 58-year-old abused his position of trust at the church, a division of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, by gaining access to and managing its accounts between 2012 and 2020.

It was also disclosed during his trial that he stole church assets, including personal checks for between €15,000 and €25,000 that were taken out for his wife's company and his own health insurance.

Judge Martina Baxter sentenced Oduntan, noting that the church's followers regarded him in the highest regard and characterizing his activities as a very long-term, well-planned, and deliberate scam. She also observed that he was solely responsible for the church's money.

She said, “He knew exactly what he was doing and he was essentially using the church's funds as his own personal account.”

The judge pointed out the seriousness of his violation of trust and fiduciary duties, even in spite of his cooperation with the authorities and admission of guilt on some counts.

Oduntan was also given concurrent sentences of seven years for accusations of fraud, six and a half years for theft, and three and a half years for giving false information to the Corporate Enforcement Authority.

He was detained from March 13 onwards, however six months of the sentence were suspended.