Theophilus Ebonyi, the general overseer of Faith On The Rock Ministry International, has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on suspicion of defrauding Nigerians and church members.
The pastor was detained, according to an EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale, who revealed this in an announcement on Monday in Abuja. The preacher was accused of using fraudulent funding from the Ford Foundation totaling N1,319,040,274.31.
In the released statement, it was revealed that “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.”
“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.”
According to Oyewale, the EFCC’s investigations revealed that the Ford Foundation was not associated with, nor had any economic dealings with, the general overseer.
The Foundation made it clear that it had no affiliation whatsoever with him or his NGO.
Five properties that he obtained as a result of his illicit activities have also been tracked down by the commission.