Enugu popular Bishop remanded in prison for alleged fraud

A popular cleric in Enugu State, Bishop Ginika Obi, has been remanded in prison after being arraigned for conspiracy and Advance Fee Fraud.

Obi was remanded at the Enugu Maximum Prison after his arraignment before Justice A. Liman of the Federal High Court. The case was adjourned to November 1 and 2^nd.
The Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebere Amaraizu, said that the Bishop was charged for conspiracy and Advance Fee Fraud.

He was alleged to have, along with other suspects now at large, defrauded some victims with a view to helping them to reap bumper financial dividends in return (Ponzi scheme).  Obi pleaded not guilty after his 82 count-charge of conspiracy and Advance Fee Fraud was read to him.

He was later remanded in prison as he could not meet his bail condition of two sureties, one of which should be a Director in Government Ministry and a
traditional ruler from his community.

Amaraizu said that Obi’s arrest and subsequent arraignment came after a discreet investigation carried out operatives of the commissioner of police monitoring unit. The investigation was said to have started after the commissioner of police received petition from concerned and affected citizens on the alleged fraudulent activities of the cleric.

Obi and others at large, were alleged to have swindled unsuspecting members of the public, promising to make them reap bumper financial dividends.

But rather than received the dividends, the victims were alleged to have been swindled, while Obi and other conmen disappeared.  After much hunting, only Obi was finally tracked and arrested. He was tracked to a hotel.

Amaraizu disclosed: “After his arrest, several other victims, whom he and his gang defrauded, had been coming to the police command. They all claimed that the Bishop and his cohorts defrauded them.”