The Ebonyi State Police Command has taken into custody Bishop Ndibueze Onyagoziri Okorie, General Overseer of Champion the Truth Cathedral, on allegations of engaging in prolonged sexual activity with a 22-year-old woman battling sickle cell disease.
Police spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the arrest, noting that the cleric is currently in custody while investigations continue.
“Yes, the Bishop is with us at the state police headquarters in Abakaliki. For now, I have no further details as the matter is still under investigation. He was arrested on Wednesday, October 1, and brought to the command by our officers,” Ukandu said.
In a viral video circulating on social media, the alleged victim explained that she moved in with the pastor after an arrangement between her family and the cleric, who assured them that living in the church would enable her to receive divine healing.
She claimed, however, that her condition worsened instead of improving. According to her, the Bishop told her that a seven-day sexual encounter with him would miraculously change her genotype from SS to AA. Desperate for survival having already lost three siblings to the same illness she agreed.
The woman further alleged that after the seven days of sexual intercourse, her health deteriorated, prompting her to inform her elder sister. Her sister insisted she return home, as the so-called spiritual treatment had failed.
The victim also accused the Bishop of threatening to release explicit photos of their encounters if she left him. Despite the threats, she eventually returned to her village, only to find intimate photos of herself and the cleric leaked online.
Meanwhile, Bishop Okorie has denied the allegations, claiming he never slept with the young woman. He insisted that his phone had been stolen and that criminals used artificial intelligence to fabricate and publish the compromising images
