Court Seize Pastor’s Hotel, School, Event Center, Other Assets Over N1.3bn “Grant” Scam

The Federal High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has ordered the final forfeiture of several properties linked to Theophilus Ebonyi, General Overseer of Faith On The Rock Ministry International, after they were deemed to be proceeds of crime.

Delivering judgment, Justice M.O. Olajuwon directed that the assets — located in communities bordering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja — be handed over to the Federal Government.

The court ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had satisfied the legal requirements under the Advance Fee Fraud Act. It also noted that Ebonyi failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify why the properties should not be permanently confiscated.

Among the forfeited assets are a 23-room hotel and event centre in Nyanya Gwandara, a warehouse and sachet water factory in Karu, two office buildings, a primary school, and more than ₦1 million held in a bank account.

According to the EFCC, Ebonyi was arrested in 2023 in connection with an alleged ₦1.3 billion fraud scheme that targeted individuals and organisations seeking financial support.

Investigators said he operated through Theobarth Global Foundation, promoting what was described as a $20 billion grant programme falsely linked to the Ford Foundation. Victims were reportedly persuaded to pay ₦1.8 million each as registration fees, under the promise of accessing the non-existent grant.

The anti-graft agency disclosed that the scheme generated approximately ₦1.39 billion from unsuspecting victims, many of whom had hoped to secure funding for personal or organisational projects.

The EFCC further confirmed that the Ford Foundation had no affiliation with Ebonyi or his organisation and had publicly distanced itself from the purported scheme.

For many victims, the ruling offers a measure of closure, though the financial and emotional toll of the alleged fraud remains significant.