EFCC grills ‘prophet’ over alleged N70.3 million scam in Enugu

Officials of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) say they have commenced investigations into the activities of a self-proclaimed prophet, Godwin Sunday Ajuluchukwucheya (aka Prophet Sunday Koboko), for allegedly defrauding members of his church of N70,391,600.

The applicant, Okey Uwakwe accused Ajuluchukwucheya of presenting himself as a true servant of God, capable of luring his brother who had been traveling abroad since 1997 to return home. He also alleged that he paid the “prophet” the sum of N6,231,400 (Six million Two hundred and Thirty One thousand Four hundred Naira) for spiritual work.

According to the applicant, the suspect also deceived himself by believing that he had the power to make his sister-in-law, who had not had children for more than 15 years, pregnant.

Ajuluchukwucheya allegedly collected the sum of N3,251,200 (Three million, Two hundred and fifty one thousand, Two hundred Naira), also for spiritual work for the purpose.

The applicant further alleged that the suspect announced to members of his church that he had won N33,000,000,000 (Thirty three billion Naira) in a lottery game, ensuring that members who contributed financially to him, would receive dividends from the said N33 billion.

Again, the applicant allegedly donated the sum of N3,349,000. 00 (Three Million Three Hundred Forty Nine thousand Naira).

The petitioner also alleged that members of the Ajuluchukwucheya ministry were also persuaded by the suspect to donate rice processing machines belonging to the suspect worth N1 billion to become business partners. He allegedly donated the sum of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira). He claimed the total money sent to the suspect was N13,331,600 (Thirteen Million Three Hundred Thirty One Thousand Six Hundred Naira), with no results.

In the course of the investigation, members of the accused ministry started flooding the Directorate with claims of how they were cheated by Ajuluchukwucheya. One of the members said, “When I came there (the ministry), a lot of things happened as investments in the church and I took part in almost everything…starting from the matter of him winning N33 billion with Baba Ijebu. He said, the money could not be taken because the amount was so big. So, the church members had to help him by buying holy ghost thunders to blow up the spiritual army organized by Baba Ijebu. He sold each spiritual thunder for N38,000 (Thirty Eight Thousand Naira) and we had to buy 1000 pieces to fight Baba Ijebu’s spiritual army”.

The total amount that Ajuluchukwucheya church members allegedly took from them was N70,391,600.

The Commission stated that the investigation showed that the suspect’s modus operandi was to lure members of his ministry to buy his “products” for welfare which included; magic stickers, spiritual dragons and holy ghost thunder.

One of the members and a victim of the suspect said, “he asked me to do what they characterized as holy ghost thunder, believing that it would solve my problem, I bought it and after all the payments, nothing happened and my problem still continues.”

Dele Oyewale, EFCC head of media and publicity said the suspect would be brought to justice as soon as investigations were completed.