Adamawa Pastor Arrested Over Hotel Bills While Working For Atiku’s Presidential Bid

 

Reverend Eli Dilli of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, Jalingo, Taraba State, has been arrested by the police for allegedly absconding with N507,000 unsettled hotel bills.

Eli was allegedly said to be working  for the Peoples Democratic Party in the build up to the 2019 general elections.

It was gathered that Eli coordinated a network of Christian pastors and had cause to use the hotels in the state capital, Yola to boost the electoral chances of the PDP.

The overseer of the Tufini, Hotel and Suites, Joshua James said Reverend Eli refused to pay the debt accumulated for lodging several clergies in the facility to the tune of N507,000.

He added that there was an agreement to give the Eli a rebate, while the clergy was expected to settle the hotel bills.

According to James, Eli absconded after the election without settling the bills, even though the management of the hotel was aware that he had been paid over N4m.

“Eli absconded since 2019 with our bills, even though he started accumulating the debt from November 2018 to April 17, 2019. Since then I have not set my eyes on him,” he said.

He also said that since May 2019, Eli has refused to take his calls and all efforts to get him to pay proved futile, adding that he was left with no other option than to report the matter to the police.

Eli, however, denied owing the hotel the amount, stating that he made some payment before leaving the hotel.

He also told reporters that he had a receipt indicating the payment he made. According to him, the receipt is in his bag, which was in the custody of the hotel.