The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun investigation into the alleged N70.3 million fraud by a self-acclaimed prophet, Godwin Ajuluchukwucheya, in Enugu State.
The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Wednesday said Mr Ajuluchukwucheya, popularly known as Prophet Sunday Koboko, allegedly defrauded his church members of N70.3 million.
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Mr Oyewale said the arrest and interrogation of Mr Ajuluchukwucheya followed receipt of a petition from Okey Uwakwe, one of the victims of the alleged fake miracle by the self-acclaimed prophet.
According to him, Mr Uwakwe alleged that Mr Ajuluchukwucheya presented himself as a “true man of God, capable of luring his brother who travelled outside the country since 1997 to return home.
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The petitioner also alleged that he paid N6.2 million to Mr Ajuluchukwucheya for some spiritual works and that the self-acclaimed prophet equally deceived him into believing that he had the power to make his sister-in-law who has been childless for over 15 years to conceive for which he separately paid N3.2 million.
More allegations
Mr Uwakwe also alleged that Mr Ajuluchukwucheya had a time announced to his church members that he won N33 billion in a lotto game and then asked the members to contribute financially to him in order to receive dividends from the N33 billion which prompted him to give Mr Ajuluchukwucheya N3.3 million.
“The petitioner also alleged that members of Ajuluchukwucheya’s ministry were also lured by the suspect to contribute to the suspect’s rice processing machine worth N1billion to become partners in the business.
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“He allegedly contributed the sum of N500, 000. He claimed that the total sum sent to the suspect was N13, 331, 600 without results,” the EFCC statement said.
Investigation
Mr Oyewale said in the statement that during investigation, members of Mr Ajuluchukwucheya’s church started “flooding” the EFCC office in Enugu with claims of how they were defrauded by the self-acclaimed prophet.
“When I came there (the ministry) a whole lot of things were going on as investments in the church which I partook in virtually all of them…ranging from the issue of him winning N33billion with Baba Ijebu (lotto game),” the statement quoted one of the victims as saying.
The victim said Mr Ajuluchukwucheya claimed that he could not retrieve the N33 billion because it was huge which prompted him to ask church members to help him by buying “holy ghost thunder” to blow the spiritual army used by the company to block the retrieval of the funds.
He said he bought 1000 pieces of “holy ghost thunder” which Mr Ajuluchukwucheya allegedly sold each for N38,000.
“The total amount members of Ajuluchukwucheya’s church alleged he took from them is N70, 391, 600,” the EFCC statement said.
Modus operandi
Mr Oyewale said in the statement that investigations by the anti-graft agency showed that Mr Ajuluchukwucheya’s modus operandi was luring his church members into buying his “products” for prosperity.
The EFCC spokesperson said the prosperity products which the “prophet” allegedly sold to his church members included “miracle stickers”, “spiritual dragons” and “holy ghost thunder”.
READ ALSO: EFCC arrests aviation security officer, two others over alleged attempt to smuggle gold worth N4.4bn
“He asked me to do what they tagged holy ghost thunder, believing it was going to solve my problems, I bought it and after all the payments, nothing happened and my problems still persisted,” the EFCC quoted another victim as saying in the statement.
The anti-graft agency said the self-acclaimed prophet would be charged upon conclusion of investigations.
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