Mobolaji Michael
OPERATIVES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested the General Overseer of Faith On The Rock Ministry International, Apostle Theophilus Oloche Ebonyi, for defrauding church members and other Nigerians to the tune of One Billion, Three Hundred and Nineteen Million, Forty Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-Four Naira, Thirty One Kobo (N1, 319,040,274.31) by using fake grants from the Ford Foundation.
Apostle Ebonyi was arrested for defrauding his victims comprising 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 $ Twenty Billion United States Dollars ($20,000,000,000.00) 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 One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,800,000.00) only. Through this arrangement, Apostle 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 Apostle 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.
Apostle Ebonyi is still reportedly reaching his subscribers on some social media platforms to market his spurious grant from the Ford Foundation.
A statement from the anti-graft agency says he would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded
Eighteen-Eleven Media