A self-acclaimed prophet, Godwin Sunday Ajuluchukwucheya, popularly known as Prophet Sunday Koboko, has been convicted and sentenced by the Enugu State High Court for defrauding members of his church of ₦136.4 million through fraudulent investment and false spiritual claims.
Justice H.O. Eya, sitting at the Enugu State High Court in Independence Layout, handed down the judgment after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully prosecuted the cleric on charges bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing.
The EFCC disclosed that the convict duped unsuspecting worshippers between 2023 and February 2025 by falsely claiming he had won ₦30 billion in a Baba Ijebu lottery and persuading them to invest in a scheme with promises of huge financial returns.
One of the charges read before the court stated that Ajuluchukwucheya fraudulently obtained ₦136,436,000 from church members after assuring them that investors in his scheme would receive dividends from the purported lottery winnings—a claim investigators established was false.
The offence contravenes Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and is punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the two-count charge when it was read to him.
Following his guilty plea, counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE II) Rotimi Ajobiewe, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Eya subsequently sentenced the fake prophet to one year imprisonment with an option of a ₦500,000 fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of his landed property, covered by a Customary Certificate of Occupancy dated July 25, 1989, to the Federal Government through the EFCC.
According to the court, the property should be sold and the proceeds used to compensate victims of the fraud.
The case stemmed from multiple petitions submitted to the anti-graft agency by victims of the scheme.
One of the petitioners, Mrs. Ngene Nkiruka Jane, alleged that the cleric convinced her he possessed the spiritual power to resurrect her late husband.
She further claimed that he persuaded her to invest in his fraudulent financial scheme, assuring her of substantial returns.
The petitioner told investigators she paid a total of ₦6.7 million for both the alleged resurrection of her deceased husband and participation in the investment programme.
Another victim, Okey Uwakwe, alleged that the self-acclaimed prophet collected ₦6,231,400 after claiming he could spiritually compel his brother, who had been living abroad since 1997, to return to Nigeria.
The EFCC said investigations uncovered a pattern of deception, as several members of the convict’s ministry came forward with similar complaints of being defrauded.
Investigators also discovered that Ajuluchukwucheya operated a fraudulent spiritual merchandising scheme, convincing followers to purchase so-called prosperity products, including “miracle stickers,” “spiritual dragon,” “Holy Ghost Thunder,” and other items, while promising divine breakthroughs and financial prosperity.
The EFCC described the conviction as another milestone in its ongoing efforts to protect Nigerians from fraudsters who exploit religion and spirituality to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
