General Overseer of Faith On The Rock Ministry International, Lagos State, Apostle Theophilus Oloche Ebonyi, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for defrauding church members and other Nigerians using fake grants from the Ford Foundation to the tune of N1. 3 billion.
EFCC’s Spokesman, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement, noting that Ebonyi was arrested for defrauding his victims, comprising non-governmental organisations and individuals by advertising a fake $20 billion intervention project through his Theobarth Global Foundation.
The statement said he claimed that the grant was offered to the less privileged persons from the United States’ Ford Foundation.
It stated further that the suspect allegedly deceived 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 N1.8 million through which he smiled to his bank to the tune of N1.3 billion from innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians and NGOs across the country.
The anti-graft agency noted that it has also traced five properties Ebonyi acquired with the proceeds of his criminal dealings.
Despite his arrest by the agency, Ebonyi is reportedly still reaching his subscribers on some social media platforms to market his spurious grant from ‘Ford Foundation’.
“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 EFCC statement said on Monday.
“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( One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira only).
“Through this arrangement, Ebonyi allegedly raked in N1,391,040,274.31. His subscribers are innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians and NGOs across the country,” EFCC said in the statement issued by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.
But the anti-graft agency said its investigations 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 Commission has also traced five properties he acquired as proceeds of his criminal dealings.”
“Ebonyi is still reportedly reaching his subscribers on some social media platforms to market his spurious grant from Ford Foundation,” EFCC added.
The anti-graft agency said the cleric would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
