Prophet Isreal Oladele Ogundipe, the Shepherd-in-Charge of the Celestial Church of Christ, Global Genesis Parish, has been released from prison.
Members of the church burst into shouts and songs of appreciation on Sunday, April 11, 2021, when the cleric joined them for Sunday service.
The convicted pastor was seen in a video posted on Instagram leading praise and worship.
Earlier in April, the Court of Appeal in Lagos granted Ogundipe a post-conviction bail.
A three-man panel was reported to have granted him bail on the ground of health conditions.
Recall that in November 2020, Justice Olabisi Akinlade sentenced Ogundipe to one-year imprisonment for converting a woman’s property to his personal use and stealing.
Ogundipe was found guilty of stealing and unlawful conversion of the property of a London-based architect, Mrs. Oladele Williams-Oni.
Justice Akinlade also ordered the cleric to pay the complainant the sum of N11m, which he obtained from her illegally.
Dissatisfied with the judgement, Ogundipe, through his counsel, Babatunde Ogala (SAN), approached the appeal court for bail pending the hearing of the appeal and an application to quash the conviction.
Ogala argued that Ogundipe was diabetic, saying the cleric could no longer follow a strict diet and the constant specialised medical attention in custody.
Ruling on the case, Justice Abudullahi Bayero said, “There are criteria for granting a convict bail. These include that the applicant must be a first-time offender or have a serious health condition.
“The applicant seeking bail pending appeal before the court is a first-time offender and he has also shown to the court that he is having hypertension, peptic ulcer, unending malaria, and diabetes, which are serious health conditions.”
