The Police in Ekiti State have arraigned one Pastor Noah Abraham of the Christ High Commission Ministry for allegedly demanding N310,000 from members of his Church in Omuo-Ekiti, as access fee to heaven after rapture.
The cleric was said to have opened a camp in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government Area and ordered members to relocate with the money and prepare to make heaven after the end of the world.
The cleric was arrested last week by the police and arraigned before a Magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti on a one-count charge.
The pastor was arraigned for “attempt to commit offence to wit, obtaining money under false pretence,” and granted administrative bail.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the arraignment of the pastor, noted that the command would not allow individuals or group to defraud residents of the State under any guise.
The police spokesperson advised that misinformation and unsubstantiated reports should be disregarded in the interest of peace and order in the State.
Abutu said: “This has become necessary to avoid misinformation, unnecessary apprehension and to inform members of the public that the command is not unaware of the trending controversial activity, as necessary steps and actions have been taken.
“Based on intelligence report received by the command on April 25 concerning the religious activity, the Area Commander, Omuo Oke, led a team of detectives to the Church camp located at Araromi Ugbeshi-Ekiti.
“The pastor was subsequently invited to the station for interrogation. Meanwhile, Pastor Noah Ade Abraham, after thorough investigation, was arraigned accordingly.
“The command pledges to closely monitor suspicious activities by any person or group of persons across the state in order to ensure that the life and properties of innocent citizens are totally protected.”
It was gathered that the pastor first relocated last year to Ekiti from Kaduna, where he was based.
He was said to have later returned to Kaduna in April this year to ask each member of the Church to pay N310,000 before they would be allowed to follow him to Omuo-Ekiti, where “the gate of heaven will open for all of them to ascend.”
Reports have it that Abraham also assured the members that they would all “ascend to heaven together from the location in Ekiti.”