It was supposed to be a night of divine blessings and financial breakthroughs. Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, had advertised a miraculous giveaway—GH₵300,000 in cash—to be shared among churchgoers during an all-night service at her Heaven Way Champions International Ministry in October 2022.
The only condition: each person was to sow a seed offering of GH₵1,000 or more.
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The advert, which aired on Today’s TV and across social media platforms, showed stacks of money meant to be given to the faithful.
Desperate for a financial lifeline, worshippers travelled from across Ghana to the church in Weija, Accra, clutching onto faith and hope.
Some came seeking rent money. Others dreamed of starting or reviving businesses. Many scraped together their last savings.
Instead of financial miracles, however, what awaited them was deception.
An orchestrated fraud
Agradaa, once a self-styled fetish priestess turned televangelist, directed her congregation to form groups of 20. Each member was instructed to pay GH₵1,000 or more, with the promise that the group would receive GH₵50,000 or GH₵40,000 in return to share among themselves.
Some groups were also to contribute GH₵25,000.
No refunds. No explanations.
Congregants were stranded at the church premises, realising too late that the advertised “cash dash” was a ruse.
Following multiple complaints to the police, Agradaa was arrested.
Investigations confirmed that she orchestrated the entire setup as part of a calculated charlatanic advertisement to defraud unsuspecting victims.
She later admitted in court that the claims made by the complainants were accurate.
A court’s verdict on greed and deceit
On Thursday, a Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Mrs. Evelyn Asamoah, sentenced Agradaa to 15 years in prison for defrauding by false pretences and engaging in charlatanic advertisements.
She received 15 years for each of the two fraud charges, to run concurrently, and a fine of GH₵300 for the charlatanic advert. Failure to pay the fine would earn her an additional 30 days in jail.
The court rejected two additional charges and took note of the growing prevalence of such deceptive spiritual schemes in the country.
The trial judge also remarked that Agradaa had shown no remorse throughout the trial.
The defence pleads for mercy
Agradaa’s lawyers, led by Mr. Richard Asare Baffour, pleaded for leniency.
He asked the court to consider a non-custodial sentence, citing her role as a mother of five and the undue hardship imprisonment would bring to her children.
Counsel also argued that Agradaa had cooperated throughout the three-year trial process, which in itself should be considered punishment enough.
However, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Haligah, the prosecutor, countered that Agradaa’s conduct showed a disturbing pattern.
He revealed that in 2021, Agradaa had already been convicted by another court for similar offences and fined GH₵10,000. Her continued deceit, he argued, called for a deterrent sentence.
A legacy of deception
Agradaa’s transformation from a controversial fetish priestess to a self-declared evangelist drew public attention over the past decade.
Her transition was supposed to symbolize redemption, but many now see it as a calculated move to exploit people’s spiritual and financial vulnerabilities.
The October 2022 scandal exposed the dangers of blind faith in spiritual leaders who promise wealth in exchange for money. What was advertised as a divine financial breakthrough turned out to be one of the most infamous church scams in recent memory.
Justice for the duped
For the many who sacrificed their hard-earned savings that night, the 15-year sentence offers a sense of closure—if not financial restitution, at least legal vindication.
The sentence is also a signal to other religious con artists who exploit the desperation of the vulnerable under the guise of spirituality.
As Ghana continues to grapple with the intersection of religion and regulation, Agradaa’s case stands as a reminder that faith must never be weaponised for profit—and that justice, though slow, can prevail.
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