A self-acclaimed cleric, Godwin Sunday Ajuluchukwucheya, widely known as Prophet Sunday Koboko, has been convicted and sentenced by the Enugu State High Court for orchestrating a multi-million-naira fraud that preyed on worshippers and other unsuspecting Nigerians with false promises of miracles, lottery riches and extraordinary investment returns.
Justice H.O. Eya of the Enugu State High Court, sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu, found the defendant guilty after he pleaded guilty to charges filed by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency prosecuted Ajuluchukwucheya on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and stealing involving ₦136.4 million.
According to the EFCC, the convict deceived members of his church and other victims between 2023 and February 2025 by claiming he had won ₦30 billion in the Baba Ijebu lottery. He allegedly persuaded followers to invest in a scheme with promises of massive dividends, insisting the supposed lottery fortune would finance the returns.
Investigators said the claims were entirely false and were deliberately used to lure victims into surrendering their savings.
One of the charges stated that Ajuluchukwucheya fraudulently obtained ₦136,436,000 from church members under the pretence that he had become a billionaire through the lottery and that investors would receive profits proportional to their contributions.
Following his guilty plea, EFCC counsel, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE II), Rotimi Ajobiewe, urged the court to convict and sentence him without delay.
Justice Eya subsequently sentenced the self-styled 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. The property is to be sold, with the proceeds used to compensate victims who lost money in the fraudulent scheme.
The prosecution revealed that investigations began after a petition by Mrs. Ngene Nkiruka Jane, who accused the cleric of exploiting her grief by claiming he possessed supernatural powers capable of resurrecting her deceased husband.
She alleged that the convict collected millions of naira from her for the promised resurrection while also persuading her to invest in his bogus investment scheme. In total, she reportedly paid ₦6.7 million.
Another victim, Okey Uwakwe, told investigators that Ajuluchukwucheya convinced him he could spiritually compel his brother, who had lived overseas since 1997, to return to Nigeria. Acting on the promise, Uwakwe reportedly paid ₦6,231,400 for the purported spiritual intervention.
The EFCC said its investigation uncovered numerous similar complaints from members of the convict’s ministry, revealing what it described as a sustained pattern of exploiting religious followers through deception and false spiritual claims.
Investigators further alleged that the convict marketed various so-called spiritual products—including “miracle stickers,” “spiritual dragon,” “Holy Ghost thunder,” and other items—which he claimed possessed supernatural powers capable of delivering prosperity, breakthroughs and solutions to personal challenges.
The commission said the conviction underscores its resolve to prosecute individuals who exploit religion, false prophecies and fake investment schemes to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.