Nigerian Minister, Theo O Ebonyi, Detained for Allegedly Defrauding Followers of $1m

A prominent Nigerian pastor, Theo O. Ebonyi, has been taken into custody on charges of defrauding individuals of over 1.3 billion naira ($930,000). The allegations against Mr. Ebonyi came to light when he was detained and later released on bail last year, but this information was only recently disclosed by the anti-corruption authority. Mr. Ebonyi dismissed the news as "fake" information circulated by bloggers and did not address the accusations against him. Authorities from Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claim that Mr. Ebonyi deceived his victims into paying a $1,300 fee each in order to access a non-existent $20 billion grant from the US-based Ford Foundation. The EFCC has clarified that the foundation had no association with Mr. Ebonyi or his organization and denied offering any such grant. Additionally, the EFCC has alleged that Mr. Ebonyi utilized the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase five properties. The EFCC intends to press charges against Mr. Ebonyi once the investigation is concluded, although the exact charges are yet to be disclosed. In a video statement released on Facebook, Mr. Ebonyi vehemently denied the news of his arrest and claimed it was fabricated by bloggers attempting to profit from false information. However, EFCC's spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that Mr. Ebonyi had been arrested and subsequently released on bail last year, suggesting a prolonged investigation was underway.