A self-acclaimed prophet, Ebuka Obi, leader of the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach, has been caught in another staged miracle controversy. This time, a woman who testified in his church about buying a ₦500 million mansion in Lekki, Lagos, has admitted that her testimony was fake.
This is not the first time Prophet Ebuka Obi has been accused of performing fake miracles. In 2023, he was allegedly involved in a staged healing with the late Nollywood actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu. At that time, Obi claimed to have healed the veteran actor, but Mr. Ibu later died on March 2, 2024, after battling an illness that led to multiple surgeries and the amputation of his legs.
Fake Testimony Exposed
In a video that has now gone viral, a woman who previously testified in Obi’s church has confessed that her story was fabricated. While testifying at Zion Ministry, she claimed that she moved from running a small shop with just ₦300,000 worth of goods to owning a luxurious mansion worth ₦500 million in Lekki.
“Zion is the best, this is the last bus stop. I have my evidence here,” she said in the video while celebrating her supposed achievement.
During the service, Prophet Obi encouraged his congregation to believe in similar miracles. “This is a mansion, I prophesy. Are you claiming this? Stand up and claim it, receive your favor,” he told his church members while showing the alleged mansion on a screen.
However, investigations later revealed that the mansion did not belong to the woman. The real owner reportedly got her arrested for falsely claiming ownership of his property. The staged testimony was allegedly meant to deceive church members into making financial donations, popularly called “sowing seeds.”
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Previous Accusations Against Prophet Obi
This is not the first time Obi’s miracles have been questioned. In March 2024, a Nigerian blogger, Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu, popularly known as Ijele Speaks II, accused Prophet Obi of being a fraud and turning his church into a business.
Ijele openly called out the pastor on social media, writing:
“For how long is this thief, Ebuka Obi, going to be allowed to fool people? Is he above the law? So any criminal can wake up one day and say whatever he likes and go free because he is a pastor?”
He further alleged that some pastors, including Obi, use their churches to influence politics. “These are the people whose business premises serve as polling units. They rig elections for politicians who, in turn, patronize them throughout their tenures,” he wrote.
Shortly after his post went viral, the Nigeria Police invited Ijele for questioning. The police accused him of criminal intimidation, threat to life, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying against the pastor. A petition letter obtained by SaharaReporters confirmed that the case was being investigated under several sections of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act 2015 and the Criminal Code Act.
Despite his arrest, Ijele was later granted bail in June 2024 by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
Calls for Accountability
With this latest scandal, many Nigerians are calling for more scrutiny of religious leaders who use fake miracles to exploit their followers. Critics argue that cases like these show the need for stricter regulations to prevent deception in religious institutions.
As the controversy continues, Prophet Ebuka Obi has yet to respond to the latest accusations. Meanwhile, many Nigerians are left questioning how many more fake testimonies have been staged to manipulate believers.