From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
Following a video that trended last week of a cleric, Pastor Noah Abraham, founder of Christ High Commission Ministry, who was alleged for collecting a sum of N 310, 000 from members of his church on a promise to take them to heaven after the rapture in Araromi Ugheshi-Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government, Ekiti State, the Police Command in the state, said it has investigated and arraigned the cleric, noting that the step was imperative to calm the nerves of members of the public on the issue.
The police commissioner in the state, Moronkeji Adesina, made this known in a statement by the command’s spokesman, Sunday Abutu, in Ado-Ekiti, on Wednesday.
The statement, entitled: “Alleged controversial religious activity in Ekiti State; Ekiti State Police Command clears the air, calls for calm,” reads:
“The Ekiti State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that it has investigated a cleric of Christ High Commission Ministry, Pastor Noah Abraham, for allegedly collecting money from members of his church on a promise to take them to heaven after rapture in Araromi Ugbeshi-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
“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 25/04/2022 concerning the religious activity, the Area Commander, Omuo-Oke led a team of detectives to the church camp at Araromi Ugbeshi-Ekiti. The pastor was subsequently invited to the station for interrogation.
“Meanwhile, Pastor Noah Ade Abraham, after a thorough investigation, was arraigned accordingly.
“The Command pledges to closely monitor any suspicious activity by any person or group of persons across the State to ensure that the lives and properties of innocent citizens are totally protected.”
It was gathered that Pastor Abraham first relocated to Ekiti State from Kaduna State, where he was formerly based in 2021.
He was said to have later returned to Kaduna State in April to ask each member of his church to donate to him N310,000 before they would be allowed to follow him to Araromi Ugheshi-Ekiti, the location where “the gate of heaven will open for all of them to fly to heaven.”