N1.3bn fraud: Pastor acquires hotel, factory, school, houses, Event Centre

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has traced five properties acquired by the General Overseer of Faith On The Rock Ministry International, Apostle Theophilus Oloche Ebonyi, with the alleged proceeds of criminal dealings.

The General Overseer was recently by the anti-graft agency for duping his victims of N1.3 billion.

EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, on Wednesday February 7, stated that Apostle Ebonyi acquired a 23-room hotel, a pure water factory, two blocks of a Primary School and two bungalow office at Nyanya-Gwandara, New Karu, Abuja, Event Centre and a five-bedroom duplex at Karsana, Abuja with the proceeds of his fraudulent dealings with his subscribers.

The cleric, according to the EFCC, also set up a live broadcast channel with studio equipment for his Theobarth Global Foundation with the funds of his subscribers.

Ebonyi was arrested in 2023 by the EFCC for allegedly defrauding his church members and other Nigerians of N1,319,040,274.31 using fake grants from the Ford Foundation.

The General Overseer defrauded Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and individuals by advertising an intervention project through his NGO (Theobarth Global Foundation) claiming that the Ford Foundation was offering a grant of $20 billion to assist the less-privileged in the society.

He allegedly hoodwinked his victims to subscribe as beneficiaries of the phony grant by asking them to pay for registration forms and clusters.

Each subscriber was made to pay N1,800,000. Through this arrangement, Ebonyi allegedly raked in N1,391,040, 274.31. His subscribers are innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians and NGOs across the country.

Investigations by the EFCC showed that Ford Foundation had no arrangement, grant, relationship or business with Ebonyi.

The Foundation pointedly disclaimed him and his NGO, stressing that it had no link whatsoever with them.

The Star