Church Distances Ebuka Obi from Blogger’s Continued Detention

Wale Igbintade

The Zion Prayer Movement Outreach has formally distanced its founder, Evangelist Ebuka Obi, from the ongoing detention of controversial blogger Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu, popularly known as ‘Ijele Speaks’, stating that the matter is unrelated to the cleric.

In a statement, the church’s legal team and Media and Public Relations Consultant addressed recent social media claims alleging that Evangelist Obi was responsible for Ofoegbu’s continued incarceration.
They described the reports as “baseless, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and tarnish the image of the church and its spiritual leader.”

The legal team presented Certified True Copies of court proceedings to back their position.
They explained that while Evangelist Obi had indeed reported a threat to life to the police—resulting in a case before Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos—Ofoegbu was granted bail on June 14, 2024.

When he was unable to meet the initial bail conditions, his legal team applied for a variation, which was granted without opposition from the prosecution.

“After perfecting his bail, he should have been released,” a member of the legal team stated.

However, during the resumed hearing on October 21, 2024, Ofoegbu’s lawyer informed the court that his client remained in custody.

It was then revealed that Ofoegbu was being held over a separate legal matter involving allegations of defamation and cybercrime brought against him by another religious leader, Daddy Hezekiah, founder of the Living Christ Mission. This case is currently ongoing at the Awka High Court in Anambra State.

The prosecution confirmed to the court that Ofoegbu’s continued detention stems from that unrelated matter—not from Evangelist Obi’s petition.

“As far as our case is concerned, we did not oppose his bail and the court granted it. He even perfected the conditions with the necessary documentation,” the legal team reiterated.

They emphasised that Evangelist Obi, as a law-abiding citizen, merely followed due process in reporting a personal threat and has no influence over any subsequent legal proceedings unrelated to that matter.

The church also took issue with media reports, particularly one by Sahara Reporters, which they accused of attempting to smear the image of Evangelist Obi. They warned that legal steps may be taken against those spreading misinformation.

“Zion Prayer Movement Outreach remains committed to transparency and integrity. Our leader continues to focus on his mission of preaching the gospel, promoting peace, and healing broken homes,” the statement concluded.