Theo O Ebonyi, a prominent pastor in Benue state, Nigeria, has been arrested on charges of defrauding individuals of over 1.3 billion naira ($930,000; £740,000).
The pastor, well-known in the region, allegedly swindled his followers and others through fraudulent schemes.
Although Mr. Ebonyi was detained and released on bail last year, the news of his arrest has only recently surfaced, according to a spokesperson from the anti-corruption authority.
Mr. Ebonyi has refuted the allegations, dismissing them as “fake” information spread by bloggers. However, he has not commented directly on the accusations against him.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria alleges that Mr. Ebonyi deceived his victims into paying a $1,300 fee each to access a purported $20 billion grant from the US-based Ford Foundation. However, investigations revealed that the Ford Foundation had no association with Mr. Ebonyi or his NGO and did not offer any such grant.
Furthermore, the EFCC claims that Mr. Ebonyi used the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase five properties. He is expected to face charges in court once the investigations are concluded, though the specific charges have yet to be disclosed.
In response to the allegations, Mr. Ebonyi released a video statement on Facebook, denying the reports of his arrest and accusing bloggers of spreading false information.
However, according to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Mr. Ebonyi had indeed been arrested and released on bail last year, although the EFCC refrained from making any official statements during the ongoing investigation.