A recent statement from the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach has clarified that the continued detention of blogger Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu, popularly known as Ijele Speaks, is not connected to the ministry.
Ijele was initially arrested for accusing the ministry’s founder, Ebuka Obi, of performing fake miracles. However, his ongoing detention is reportedly due to other unrelated matters.
The blogger has been in custody since March 2024, facing multiple charges filed by the police in different courts, which his lawyers describe as persecution rather than prosecution.
At a press conference in Lagos on Saturday, April 5, 2025, the ministry’s Media Adviser, Dan Aibangbe, and members of the legal team described reports by Sahara Reporters that Ofoegbu had been detained by its Spiritual Director, Evangelist Ebuka Obi, for one year as completely false and misleading, explaining that the blogger’s release order was signed by the court on August 15, 2024, after he perfected his bail conditions.
However, Ofoegbu is being held for other cases unconnected with Zion Ministry, including a case at the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State, the media aide said in a press release.
Aibangbe explained said Sahara Reporters was fully aware of this but has instead chosen to mislead the public with falsehood. He also clarified that Ofoegbu was on trial for threatening the life of Evangelist Ebuka.
Mrs Ugonna Okpara of the Zion Legal team, who showed journalists at the conference the release papers signed by the court, explained that the blogger’s defence counsel had confirmed to the judge who tried to find out why he was still in detention that their client was being held for another case at the Federal High Court in Awka, which has nothing to do with Zion Ministry or Evangelist Ebuka Obi.
Other members of the ministry’s legal team, Kingsley Okigbo and Gerty Iloegbunam, who spoke at the briefing also called on the journalists to carry out their investigation at the Correctional Center to confirm why the blogger was still in detention.
They equally advised the media not to be deceived by the false and misleading account being circulated by Sahara Reporers.
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