Theophilus Ebonyi, the general overseer of Faith On The Rock Ministry International, is in trouble.
The Federal High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has ordered the final forfeiture of several landed properties located in parts of the state bordering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to the Federal Government.
Justice M.O. Olajuwon issued the order after ruling that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully proved that the assets seized from Theophilus Ebonyi, General Overseer of Faith On The Rock Ministry International, were proceeds of crime.
The EFCC, which arrested Ebonyi in 2023 and later initiated forfeiture proceedings, disclosed in a statement on Thursday that the court granted the final forfeiture order on Wednesday.
According to the commission, the affected properties include a 23-room hotel and event centre known as De Thinkers Home and Apartments, located at New Layout, Abattoir Road First Gate, Nyanya Gwandara, Nasarawa State.
Other assets forfeited include a warehouse, a sachet water factory and dispenser at No. 20 Philip Doda Street, Koroduma, Karu Local Government Area, as well as two office buildings along Philip Doda Street near Chapel of Redemption Church in One-man Village, Koroduma.
Also listed is Theo International Academy Primary School, located at Second Gate, Balogun Street, beside a football field in Nyanya Gwandara, along with the sum of N1,005,489.27 found in Ebonyi’s bank account domiciled in First Bank.
The judge held that the EFCC met the requirements of Section 17(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, thereby justifying the permanent forfeiture of the assets.
The commission also revealed that investigations showed that the account of Theobarth Global Foundation, the second respondent in the case, was used to launder money and receive funds from victims of a Ponzi scheme.
After reviewing the evidence, the court ruled that Ebonyi failed to “show cause as to why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.”
In 2023, the EFCC arrested Ebonyi for allegedly defrauding individuals and organisations of over N1.3 billion.
He was said to have lured victims by claiming that the Ford Foundation was offering a $20 billion grant to support the poor.
According to the EFCC, the scheme was promoted through Theobarth Global Foundation, with victims asked to pay for registration forms and cluster participation.
Each subscriber reportedly paid N1.8 million, and through the scheme, Ebonyi allegedly amassed huge sums from unsuspecting individuals and organisations.
The EFCC stated that investigations confirmed that the Ford Foundation had no connection, agreement, or business relationship with Ebonyi or his organisation, and had publicly disclaimed any involvement.