EFCC Grills ‘Prophet’ Over Alleged N70.3m Fraud in Enugu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced an investigation into a self-acclaimed prophet, Godwin Sunday Ajuluchukwucheya, popularly known as Prophet Sunday Koboko, over allegations that he defrauded members of his ministry of more than N70 million through various purported spiritual and investment schemes.

The anti-graft agency disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday, June 17, stating that operatives of its Enugu Zonal Directorate are probing the activities of the cleric following multiple complaints from alleged victims.

According to the EFCC, one of the petitioners, Okey Uwakwe, accused the suspect of exploiting the trust of church members by presenting himself as a genuine man of God with supernatural powers.

Uwakwe alleged that the cleric collected N6.23 million from him for spiritual interventions aimed at persuading his brother, who had lived abroad since 1997, to return to Nigeria.

The petitioner further claimed that the prophet received another N3.25 million on the promise of helping his sister-in-law conceive after over 15 years of childlessness.

The EFCC said Uwakwe also alleged that Ajuluchukwucheya announced to members of his congregation that he had won a N33 billion lottery jackpot and encouraged them to make financial contributions with assurances that they would receive dividends from the winnings.

Based on that representation, the petitioner reportedly contributed N3.35 million.

In another alleged scheme, church members were reportedly invited to invest in a proposed rice processing venture said to be worth N1 billion. Uwakwe claimed he contributed N500,000 to the project.

According to the commission, the petitioner said he paid a total of N13.33 million to the cleric without receiving any of the promised benefits.

The EFCC said more members of the ministry subsequently came forward with similar allegations as investigations progressed.

One of the complainants alleged that the suspect convinced members to contribute money towards securing access to his purported N33 billion lottery winnings.

The victim claimed the cleric told congregants that the money could not be released because of spiritual opposition and urged them to purchase what he described as “holy ghost thunder” to overcome the challenge.

According to the witness, each “holy ghost thunder” item was sold for N38,000, while members were encouraged to buy as many as possible.

Investigators also alleged that the suspect marketed various spiritual products, including miracle stickers, spiritual dragons and holy ghost thunder, promising prosperity and solutions to personal challenges.

Another victim told investigators that despite making payments for the spiritual items, there was no improvement in his situation.

The EFCC said the total amount allegedly collected from members of the ministry stands at N70.39 million.

The commission added that investigations are ongoing and that the suspect will be charged to court upon their conclusion.