The General Overseer of Faith on the Rock Ministry International, Theophilus Ebonyi, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly defrauding church members and other people, News About Nigeria reports.
According to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the pastor is accused of using fake grants from the Ford Foundation to the tune of N1,319,040,274.31.
The EFCC statement revealed that Ebonyi advertised an intervention project through his NGO, Theobarth Global Foundation, falsely claiming that the Ford Foundation was offering a $20 billion grant to assist the less-privileged in society.
Victims were allegedly lured into subscribing as beneficiaries of the fake grant by paying for registration forms and clusters, with each subscriber paying N1,800,000.
The pastor is said to have amassed N1,391,040,274.31 through this fraudulent scheme.
The statement read, “Ebonyi was arrested for defrauding his victims, comprising non-governmental organisations 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 beguiled his victims to subscribe as beneficiaries of the phoney grant by asking them to pay for registration forms and clusters.”
Investigations by the EFCC revealed that the Ford Foundation had no association with Ebonyi and his NGO, disclaiming any link or grant arrangement with them.
The commission has also traced five properties acquired by the pastor as proceeds of his alleged criminal activities.
Ebonyi is reported to still be reaching out to subscribers on social media platforms to market the spurious grant from the Ford Foundation.
He will be charged to court once investigations are concluded.
