‘Apostle Ebonyi arrested in June 2023, but released on bail,’ EFCC clarifies claim on Faith on the Rock Ministry GO’s arrest

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has clarified the arrest of the General Overseer of the Faith on the Rock Ministry International, Apostle Theophilus Ebonyi.

The commission had on Monday announced the arrest of the cleric for alleged N1.3 billion fraud.

The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, said the pastor allegedly used fake grants from the Ford Foundation to defraud church members and other Nigerians to the tune of N1.3 billion.

Ebonyi immediately reacted to the claim and insisted that he was never arrested by the commission.

In a video posted on Facebook, the pastor said he was not arrested by the EFCC or any other anti-graft agency.

“That publication out there on February 5 is not true. It is a lie. I am very fine, I am Okay and I am not in the EFCC custody. I am here with my lawyer, we are discussing the modalities,” he stated.

READ ALSO: EFCC arrests Faith On The Rock Ministry G.O, Ebonyi, for N1.3bn fake grant scheme

However, in a chat with journalists on Wednesday, Oyewale said the General Overseer was arrested by the commission’s operatives for alleged fraud in June 2023 but released on bail.

He said the explanation followed the denial by Ebonyi that he was never arrested by the EFCC.

The spokesman said: “Mr. Ebonyi was on bail having been arrested and then released last year.

“He had been arrested over a long period, but because of the investigation that we were doing, we did not issue any statement.”

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