A Dallas, US, pastor has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after he was convicted of stealing property from three churches by filing fraudulent deeds.

Whitney Foster, 56, was found guilty by a jury of stealing goods worth at least $300,000, according to a news release from Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot.

According to investigators, the total worth of the pilfered properties approached $800,000. According to Creuzot, “stealing real estate is an extremely serious and damaging crime.”

“It’s worse than the theft of someone’s vehicle or other possessions. When someone steals property, we must hold them accountable because they are hurting people.” Foster was the pastor of a small congregation that did not have a physical place to gather.

He stole church buildings and land by filing fraudulent deeds that listed fake leadership for the victim churches as the grantors and naming his church as the grantee, according to the district attorney’s office. The churches from which Foster stole were First Christian Church of Lancaster and two in Dallas — Canada Drive Christian Church and Church at Nineveh, authorities said.

Two of properties are still listed under the defendant’s name or his church’s name, and his congregation has been gathering at one of them, Creuzot said.

The third church property “remains embroiled in legal complications caused by Foster’s actions,” according to the news release.

Prosecutors also presented the jury with evidence of seven additional fraudulent deeds.

Homeowners in many Texas counties can register their property for a deed fraud alert service, which will send an alert via email whenever a document is filed on your property.

The annual Ecobank “Adire Lagos” exhibition took off yesterday  with over 100 exhibitors showcasing their wares.

Originating from Abeokuta in Southwestern Nigeria, Adire textile is an indigenous indigo-dyed cloth made by using different wax-resistant methods to create dazzling designs. The four-day Adire exhibition, returning for the third year in a row, is to promote culture, tourism, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and enable them benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Some of the international exhibitors at the fair include Adire Oodua, Tampoori, Jide Batik, Janae, Asologe and host of others.

The 4-day fair which ends on Monday  is  at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC),  complex located in Victoria Island, Lagos,  is set to witness  influx of topflight exhibitors, government functionaries, culture enthusiasts, social media influencers, artistes, local and foreign tourists, traditional rulers, and members of the diplomatic community. It provides an exceptional opportunity to network with entrepreneurs, shoppers, and everyone in the business of Adire.

Addressing journalists at the opening ceremony, the Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Kola Adeleke said the exhibition is part of the efforts of the bank to support the creative industry in the country, adding that it was also to promote micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and help them benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

According to him, “As you all know, we are part of a Pan African bank which operates in 33 countries of Africa. We always look out to support various initiatives on the continent and this adire exhibition fits into the scheme. As you can see, today, we have over 100 merchants who are being given the opportunity to showcase their adire products. This is the biggest that we’ve ever seen. It is an international exhibition. We want to support them all the way, train them and make them international brands with indigenous backgrounds. We want to ensure they are able to export their locally-created products across the continent. This is also one way to support the Nigerian economy.”

Exhibitors and attendees alike were enthusiastic and full of commendation for Ecobank. Ecobank Nigeria, a key driver of tourism, culture and the creative industries in Nigeria, recently hosted the +234Art, a 10-day art fair dedicated to nurturing and uplifting the burgeoning art industry in Nigeria. The fair provided a platform to support emerging artists and encourage increased interest in art acquisition; the bank organised the Photography, Art, and Design Exhibition (PADE) to commemorate World Photography Day in 2022; the bank also partnered “Songs & Stories” With Cobhams Asuquo;  Redbull Dance Your Style; BellaNaija Style Summit and Loosing Daylight (An exhibition of the history of Nollywood organised by Nse Ikpe-Etim)

The kidnappers of the Managing Director of Fouani Company, who represents LG and Hisense, and three Lebanese nationals, have demanded a ransom of $1.5 million.

According to a source under anonymity, the kidnappers made contact with the family of the victims and demanded the ransom in exchange for their safe release.

It was earlier reported that the victims were abducted around Falomo Bridge while traveling from Apapa to Victoria Island.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the abduction saying, “Yes, it is true. We got the report and we are looking into it. Please, I’m not obliged to state more than that,” he simply said.

More to come…