Reverend Eli Dilli, a pastor with the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, Jalingo, Taraba State, has been apprehended by the police for allegedly absconding with N.5m unsettled hotel bills.
The presiding priest of LCCN Majami’ar Ceto, Jeka da Fari parish, Jalingo, was said to have coordinated a network of Christian pastors in the build up to the 2019 general elections,
The overseer of the Tufini Hotel and Suites, the complainant, James Joshua alleged that Eli was working for the Peoples Democratic Party at the time and used hotels in the state capital for his activities aimed at guaranteeing success for PDP’s gubernatorial candidate.
Joshua said the clergyman did not respect his priestly calling by refusing to pay the debt accumulated for lodging of several clergies in the facility to the tune of N507,000.
He said the arrangement was for the hotel to give the clergy a rebate, while he was expected to settle the bills.
He alleged that the clergy man absconded and did not settle the bills after the elections, even though the management of the hotel was aware that he had been paid over N4m.
James explained that since May 2019, Eli had refused to pick his calls, adding that efforts to get the clergy to pay proved futile until the matter was reported to the police, who accompanied him to a court, where the pastor was said to be responding to a summons.
Eli was brought to the hotel by plain clothed security operatives to confront the complainant. He denied owing the hotel the amount, adding that he made some payment before leaving the hotel.
He also told reporters that he had a receipt indicating the payment he made, adding that he kept the receipt in his bag, which was in the custody of the hotel.
