Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The embattled shepherd of Celestial Church of Christ, Metro Parish in Washington DC, VSE Michael Odubanjo who has reportedly been embezzling the parish funds with the support of some corrupt elders in the church has been fingered in the media blackmail of top parishioners who had agitated for transparency in the Parish’s financial dealings.
Recall that Odubanjo whose posting to Metro Parish in Washington DC was recently terminated by the Pastor of the church Worldwide, Reverend EMF Oshoffa as a result of the irregularities in his immigration status had insisted on remaining in the Parish as an illegal immigrant.
His clergy status worldwide was also terminated by Reverend Mobiyina Oshoffa as a result of the media attacks which he had sponsored against the pastor and some prominent members of the parish like MiC Ebun Enahoro and Mic Sidikat Susan Amusan.
Also recall that Enahoro it was that facilitated his posting to CCC Metro Parish when he was unceremoniously removed as the HOD of the church in Italy.
Because he was advised and stopped by the parishioners not to divert thanksgiving funds to his personal use, Odubanjo reportedly threatened to destroy the Parish if the pastor insists that he should leave the Parish in Washington DC and never come back.
Having successfully blackmailed MiC Ebun Enahoro through Emmanuel Akinyele, the publisher of an online blog, Celestial Prerogative blog with fake reports that she once ran mad and taking treatment at a US medical facility and also that she has been high-handed, the embattled shepherd has also sponsored several media attacks and blackmails on a former financial secretary of the Parish, MiC Susan Amusan.
A top parishioner who spoke with our investigators during a fact-finding mission to the Parish two days ago accused Odubanjo of paying some Nigerian ICT experts to manipulate a video to falsely indict Amusan of putting the church funds she was counting into her hand bag.
The parishioner also recalled how Odubanjo had used his position to illegally removed MiC Susan Amusan as the Financial Secretary of the Parish just because she was always calling for transparency.
“It happened during one of our church services when there was an altercation which was masterminded by our shepherd. On that day, one of the church elders, Baba Olusegun Olaore who is a former CTC chairman of the Parish forcefully snatched the church funds which Dr. Amusan was counting. And in the process, the entire monies scattered all over the floor of the church and the next we saw was a fake and doctored video with a lie that she was putting part of the money inside her hand bag.
“Mama Amusan is one of the great pillars of the Parish so one wonders why Odubanjo had to fake such libelous video to destroy her good image. At a point, we heard from those close to the shepherd that he wants to do everything possible to ruin Dr. Amusan’s medical licence” the source said.
Asked why VSE Odubanjo decided to make MiC another target of his media attacks, the source, a member of the Parochial Committee who chose to speak on the condition of anonymity said her trouble with the shepherd and the corrupt elders of the Parish started on March 5, 2025 when she officially demanded from MiC Olufunke Bajulaiye and Leader Toye Famoditimi, the financial records of the church from February 9 and March 2, 2025 totalling $13,215.
“Normally, every receipt of any money that is deposited on the name of the Parish should be given to MiC Amusan for filing but we later heard that both Mama
Olufunke Bajulaye and Toye Famoditimi refused to give the receipts for four weeks to her and this made her to write them in March to demand the financial records” the source told this newspaper.
It was gathered that Amusan had also challenged the refusal of the former financial secretary of the Parish, Elder Patrick Moseh to give financial reports for the Parish for fifteen good months.
We also gathered that Patrick Moseh whom several parishioners have accused of being notorious was busy bullying everyone in the church instead of him to simply give records of the financial dealings in his possession.
According to findings, VSE Odubanjo saw the demand of Amusan as an attack on his personality, and then he cunningly set some elders on his side against the former financial secretary of the Parish.
A source said that Odubanjo should explain a confession by Elder Pius Adebowale, a self-acclaimed patron of the parish which he made on January 7, 2025 that a whooping $121,000 was removed from the Parish bank accounts to unknown destinations.
Another source who spoke about Odubanjo’s issue with MiC Ebun Enahoro said that: “VSE Odubanjo is just blackmailing the innocent woman for nothing sake and we heard that his blogger has been arrested in Nigeria. For the record, I will like to tell you that for 18 month, the Parish had experienced a rapid growth in all areas with the help of MiC Enahoro who is also the Pastor’s representative here. The church was able to achieve a proper financial management but immediately Odubanjo came as a shepherd and didn’t have his way, he manipulatively set members of the CTC against themselves and they started fighting every time”
During our investigation, Nigerian Concord Newspaper reliably obtained a letter written on October 29, 2024 by VSE Odubanjo to reprimand both Evangelist Segun Olaore and Mrs Olufunke Bajulaiye after they were found culpable of gross financial mismanagement
The letter titled:
LETTER OF WARNING TO EVANGELIST SEGUN OLAORE AND L/E/S OLUFUNKE BAJELAYE reads:
Following the online meeting held on the 29th October 2024, with myself as the shepherd of the Parish, it was unanimously agreed that two executive officers, Evangelist Segun Olaore (Chairman) and L/E/S Olufunke Bajelaye (Treasurer) of the CTC Committee were found guilty of gross misconduct and mismanagement of Parish funds.
After careful consideration, it has become necessary for these individuals to uphold the principles of transparency, accountability and financial management as outlined in Romans 14:12 and Proverbs 27:17. It is imperative that they act in accordance with these teachings as Christians entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing Parish finances.
I want to make it unequivocally clear that any form of misappropriation of Parish funds or negative behaviour towards the body of Jesus Christ will not be tolerated. As stated in my appointment letter by His Eminence Rev EMF Oshoffa, it is my duty to protect the constitution of the Church and expose any instances of financial abuse.
I trust that Evangelist Segun Olaore and L/E/S Olufunke Bajelaye will heed this warning and take the necessary steps to rectify their actions and conduct themselves in a manner befitting their roles within the Parish.
Based on the resolution of the meeting which I presided over, this letter should serves as a final warning to Evangelist Segun Olaore and L/E/S Olufunke Bajelaye to cease any acts of mismanagement of CCC Metropolitan Archdiocese, National Headquarters, Washington DC USA funds. Failure to comply with this warning in the future will result in the expulsion from the CTC Committee and demotion of ranks.
It is important to note that the establishment of the CTC Committee was the sole responsibility of His Eminence Rev EMF Oshoffa, Pastor & Spiritual Head of the Church. This letter will be forwarded to the Pastor’s Office for final ratification.
Yours in Christ,
VSE Michael Tunde Odubanjo (MPIC)
Shepherd in Charge
CCC Metropolitan Archdiocese, National Headquarters, USA