Church denies role in blogger’s continued detention

The Zion Prayer Movement Outreach has clarified that it is not responsible for the continued detention of blogger Harrison Ofoegbu, also known as Ijele Speaks.

At a press conference on Saturday, the ministry’s Media Adviser, Dan Aibangbe, said a court order for the release of Mr Ofeogbu was signed on 15 August 2024, after the blogger met his bail conditions.

However, the blogger remained in custody for a separate case at the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, Mr Aibangbe said.

“For the record, Ijele Speaks was granted bail on July 19th, 2024 by the court. The bail was perfected on August 15th, 2024, and Ijele Speaks was released to go home.

“So the ongoing detention of Ijele Speaks has no connection whatsoever with Evangelist Ebuka Obi, rather Ijele Speaks is currently in prison custody over separate legal matters not connected to Zion,” he said.

Mr Aibangbe accused Sahara Reporters, an online news outlet owned by Omoyele Sowore of publishing fake news.

He said an article published on 2 April which claimed that Ebuka Obi, the ministry’s spiritual director, is responsible for blogger Ijele Speaks’ one-year detention, is false and misleading.

According to him, Sahara Reporters was fully aware that the blogger was kept in detention for other unrelated cases but chose to mislead the public with falsehood.

“We state unequivocally that this report is baseless, malicious and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and portray evangelist Ebuka in a bad light

“We believe the negative report being circulated is simply designed to tarnish the image of the man of God, Evangelist Ebuka Obi, who has dedicated his life to the service of God and humanity,” he said.

A member of the ministry’s legal team, Ugonna Okpara, presented the release papers signed by the court. According to her, Mr Ofoegbu’s defence counsel had informed the court that his client was being held for another case unrelated to the ministry.

She advised the media not to be deceived by the false and misleading accounts being circulated by certain platforms.

Fake miracle controversy

On 13 March 2024, Ijele Speaks accused Ebuka Obi, the founder of Zion Prayer Movement Outreach, of deceiving people through staged miracles and turning his ministry into a business enterprise. In a viral post where he tagged the police and the Ministry of Justice, Ijele Speaks claimed Mr Obi was a scammer, thief and “arrangee master”.

He was subsequently arrested and detained by the police. The police said he was being investigated for alleged criminal intimidation, threat to life, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying.

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The following month, a magistrate court in Abuja remanded him in the Keffi Correctional Centre in Nasarawa State. The police filed three counts against him at the Federal High Court in Lagos in May 2024. However, in June 2024, the court granted him bail in the sum of N50 million.

Mr Obi has been embroiled in controversy over allegations of staging miracles and fake testimonies.

In February, Loveth Alo was arrested and arraigned in a court in Enugu for allegedly making false claims about purchasing a multi-million Naira mansion during a testimony session at Mr Obi’s church.

Ms Alo, however, told the police she acted alone.