The Police in Enugu State have smashed an alleged notorious syndicate, which specializes in helping self-acclaimed men of God to fake prophecies in Churches across the country.
The suspects were nabbed at the Enugu Market Road, popularly known as Holy Ghost Park and the P&T axis of the state by the operatives of the central police station of the Enugu State police command.
The spokesman of the Police in the State, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, SP, who confirmed this in a statement gave names of the suspects as Obi Ejike from Ubaho Okija in Ihiala local Government Area of Anambra State, Kuku Mary from Ijebuode, Ogun State, Oluwakemi Joy from Ojo Lagos State, Nwosu Chizoba from Umunze in Anambra state and Peter Uchechi from Ebonyi state.
He disclosed that the suspects were nabbed while heading for Churches and ministries in Enugu and Ebonyi to stage make-belief prophecies.
The statement issued by Amaraizu showed one of the suspects, Peter Uchechi confessing that “they were recruited in large numbers and kept in a house at Onitsha Anambra state; from there, they shuttle to various states of the country to confirm a prophecy for the purpose of winning more souls for the said church or ministry. They are usually paid through their coordinator who rented a house and kept them there.
“According to her, they can be detailed to go to any state, but the number of the link man in the said church/ministry is usually provided to them for easy connection on arrival and that they usually dialogued with the link man to the pastor of the church/ministry on the shape the job will take.
“She went ahead to reveal that they usually state their names, nature of problem they have and other necessary information which is given to the pastor of the church/ministry for his guidance and that during the prophetic hours, she will be among the people with the said problem that will come out.
“The pastor, then using the said information, will prophecy and she will confirm that before the congregation; she will be touched and she will fall and the pastor will then proclaim that the problem is all over; that way, members of the congregation will believe that the pastor is a powerful man of God and this will attract more members to the church.”
The statement further quoted Uchechi as confessing that “some Pastors use us to grow their church/ministry and we are paid later through our coordinator depending on our role.”
On his part, Obi Ejike confessed that he “works hand in hand with the coordinator and that he is the link person for the Abakiliki and Enugu team.”
“He confessed that he joined the lucrative prophecy job after he lost his business to the activities of fraudsters in Lagos and then decided to relocate to Onitsha where he joined the prophesy deal and recruitment of candidates.
“Nwosu Chizoba from Umunze equally corroborated all the stories as told by Uchechi Peter and Obi Ejike. The single mother joined the business which she initially started at Abuja before moving to Onitsha.
“Oluwakemi Joy and Kuku Mary are mothers of four children each, but their husbands are no more with them; hence they had to join the lucrative business through their friend who linked them to the coordinator”, the statement added.
