EFCC Arrests Cleric Over $44,000 Scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arrested a catholic priest, Rev.Fr. Remigius Onyelu, for allegedly defrauding an Abuja based business woman, Mrs. Ijeoma Ugwah, of $44,000.

Although the details of the arrest were still sketchy, our correspondent learnt that the cleric was whisked away at the Pope John 11 Guest House in Wuse 2, Abuja by 10.00 am.

The priest was said to have conspired with her younger sister, simply identified as Princess Ebere David, to obtain the money from the victim under the guise of helping her to process university education for her daughter in Canada.

The priest was said to have claimed he had been on pastoral assignment in Canada for 15 years.

A source said, “Two years after making the payments, the victim was shocked to discover that she has fallen into the hand of a scammer, who hides under his pastoral duties, to scam unsuspecting parents seeking admission for their children in Canada.”

She was said to have subsequently sent a petition to the EFCC Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri, who promptly assigned a team of operatives to put the priest on watch list and “get him arrested any time he returns to Nigeria.”

A source in EFCC told our correspondent that while the priest was being detained for interrogation, the commission’s operatives were said to have declared a manhunt for his sister, who had allegedly gone underground.

When contacted on the telephone, EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest of the priest but declined further comments.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20110913421187

Rubbish! Last time I checked, Tinubu and Dimeji are still enjoying their billions in stolen loot.

This is another abuse of the homepage privilages by a moderator who desparately wants to showcase a "crime" involving a christian priest

naijaking1:

This is another abuse of the homepage privilages by a moderator who desparately wants to showcase a "crime" involving a christian priest

Why must you personalize everything? I guess you didn't see the "hajia" and the negative stories about islam that made the home page recently?

This is a website that discusses every news, it matters not what ethnic, race or religion is involved, if it is news, we discuss it.

NO surprises here.


It has to be one of our brothers from the SE. Dem like money three much. Why na? Why?


Dem swear for una?

Kay Johnson again?Moderators,why hasnt dis guy been banned yet?

When will they arrest Patience Jonathan, GEJ, IBB, Atiku, OBJ, Anenih, rearrest Cecilia Ibru, Send Akingbola to jail. etc
Chasing shadows!

Jarus and OAM4J
wont you do soothing about this kay johnson.am tired of his post.or move is post to advertisin section.

This is another abuse of the homepage privilages by a moderator who desparately wants to showcase a "crime" involving a christian priest

Ignorance will not cease to be showcased on N.L, being a moderator does not stop someone from posting a topic just like any other members,perhaps @naijaking just like many on NL is not use to it, being a Christian / Catholic most likely.He believes negative news on N.L should always  be about  others never about  him/her, naijaking grow up this is NL.Every home has its rotten toilet so says a proverb in my local dialect.
OAMJ keep up the good work we want info. about all from all regardless of ethnic or religious sentiments. Let's all keep them coming.

This is another abuse of the homepage privilages by a moderator who desparately wants to showcase a "crime" involving a christian priest

And so what ? He may be Christian and a Priest but he is a thief using his catholic disguise to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, we need to know and discuss.

some people just open their basket mouth to say rubbish. Lack of knowledge is darker than nigh. We ought here the part of the priest b4 passing judgement. it's possible his sister did this behind his back. Words are like seeds, they go into the future to produce results

naijaking1:

This is another abuse of the homepage privilages by a moderator who desparately wants to showcase a "crime" involving a christian priest

[size=18pt]LEGENDARY![/size]

some people just open their basket mouth to say rubbish. Lack of knowledge is darker than nigh. We ought here the part of the priest b4 passing judgement. it's possible his sister did this behind his back. Words are like seeds, they go into the future to produce results

moremi2008:

Rubbish! Last time I checked, Tinubu and Dimeji are still enjoying their billions in stolen loot.

so no other criminal should be prosecuted because bankole and tinubu are free

@fried-rice OTHER CRIMINAL SHOULD BE PROSECUTE, BUT THE QUESTION IS DID EFCC SACTION THEM HEAVILY?WHAT HAPPEN TO TAFA BALOGUN?WHAT HAPPEN TO DIMEJI BANKOLE?WHAT HAPPEN TOTINUBU?THEY HAVE PROVE AVIATION,EDUCATION?WHAT END THE SOLUDO SCAM ON THE NEW NAIRA NOTE THEN?THEY HAVE PROVE MORE THAN 40 MINISTER N TOP LEADER IN THIS COUNTRY WITH NO RESULT AT THE END OF THE PROBE, EFCC SHOULD GO N SLEEP, POLICE SHOULD GO N DIE, THEY ALL MAKE IT LOOK AS IF THIS COUNTRY NIGERIA IS FOR ANIMAL

untill we hear the priest version of the story i will not make any comment

i didn't see this as news 

mcelisus:

Lack of knowledge is darker than nigh. We ought here the part of the priest b4 passing judgement. it's possible his sister did this behind his back. Words are like seeds, they go into the future to produce results

I agree with u 100%. It is possible that the woman's sister actually did the defrauding on her own. A girl once used the name of a catholic Seminarian to keep late nights. She always told her dad that she was with him learning some of the Church's teachings whereas the innocent young man was in his village hut sleeping oblivious of her schemes. When it became unbearable the father was about reigning down fire and brimstone on the young lad only for a fight to breakout between the stupid girl and a friend of hers. It was during the exchange of abusive words that her friend exposed her "u dey call me ashawo abi? u wey dey use the poor seminarian name dey lie nko? dey go sleep with man." The slut's father heard it, came out and continually dropped missiles of blows and slaps on her face. he was angry that he was on the verge of accusing an innocent man wrongly. If this revelation didn't pop up its head, no one may have believed that the seminarian was innocent, including myself.

I'm not exonerating the priest, but judgment on the matter should be slow.

Dis is how we end up throwin out d baby wt d bathwater,jst bc he's a priest d efcc shd kp quiet or bc bankole and tinubu ar roamin d nation free.To d woman dt was scammed,d $44,000 is worth wat stolen billions ar to d country,dis was hard earned mony set aside to guarantee s/body's future and some pple expect it to b glossed ova bc priest is involved,no wonder we remain where we ar today bc we attach religion,tribe,sentiments to every tin we do even when d facts stare us boldly in d face.Let efcc do its job and justice b served to all,please.

Yours GEJ,:

You're a fooolish fool. I don't know what rats are doing on NL. I thought we had moderators whose jobs were to rid us of these pests!

this guy is worse than a fool. i feel there is more hope for a fool than for this guy.

why do we have moderators? what are they doing to this criminal? i'm already looking to an alternative forum where there is relative sanity.

good luck, nairaland/nairalanders.

Johnpaul2k2:

i didn't see this as news 

Yes is should not be a news because it is not  Islam or Muslim's image that is destroyed.

Absolute Rebbish !!!

Johnpaul2k2:

i didn't see this as news

It's not only news for the moderator, but a big one so much so that he makes it a headline.

Who says a priest cant steal.
However, i still await the outcome of the investigations. But our press is so bad with follow up journalism. If your name is soiled in nigerian press, it remains like that.
I remember the case of 'kidnappers priest' in Aba during the days of osisikankwu.
People did not get to hear the part where the priest's name was cleared.

imagine!

binkabir:

Yes is should not be a news because it is not  Islam or Muslim's image that is destroyed.

Absolute Rebbish !!!

don't hurt yourself,
it's just a Scam which is like a greeting in Nigeria
ibb,buhari,obj,hell rioted abacha and co. armajiris are swimming in corruption yet walking around the world without been arrested
what of murderers of Christians and youth corpers in north
shu.t the fvck up Mr

If it's not scamming, it will be molesting kids or people's wives!

This naija sef!

Johnpaul2k2:

don't hurt yourself,
it's just a Scam which is like a greeting in Nigeria
ibb,buhari,obj,hell rioted abacha and co. armajiris are swimming in corruption yet walking around the world without been arrested
what of murderers of Christians and youth corpers in north
shu.t the fvck up Mr

This thread shows how our 2 muslim political section moderators are using the forum to push their own agenda.
The investigation of this allegation is at its infancy, the accused has not even responded, there has been no court finding or ruling; yet our supposed neutral and objective moderator digs up the news, and despite lack of investigative merit flashes it on the home page.

I used to wonder how baseless articles attacking christians, their pastors, and even methods of worship usually find their way into the political section and then the homepage.
All of a suddden, corruption and civil criminal activities are being elevated to the same political importance as the activities of Boko Haram and other violent islamic fanatics

naijaking1:

This thread shows how our 2 muslim political section moderators are using the forum to push their own agenda.
The investigation of this allegation is at its infancy, the accused has not even responded, there has been no court finding or ruling; yet our supposed neutral and objective moderator digs up the news, and despite lack of investigative merit flashes it on the home page.

I used to wonder how baseless articles attacking christians, their pastors, and even methods of worship usually find their way into the political section and then the homepage.
All of a suddden, corruption and civil criminal activities are being elevated to the same political importance as the activities of Boko Haram and other violent islamic fanatics

oam4j is not muslim

^^^
His bias is crystal clear.

naijaking1:

^^^
His bias is crystal clear.

yes he is biased toward SE people which is bad but towards others, then NO

A biased moderator is like a biased referee: unacceptable