Cleric, one other arrested for alleged N9m fraud in C-River

Posted by admin Cross River, Headlines, State News Saturday, October 13th, 2012

By JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU, Calabar

TWO members of the United Nigeria Chaplaincy, and an official of a non governmental organization have been arrested and handed over to the Cross River State Police Command for alleged certificate forgery, falsification of documents and embezzlement of over N9 million.

A statement by the State Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey gave the names of the two persons as Chaplain Sunday Enimuel and Rev. Mercy Felix Effiom who allegedly were factional state commandants of the United Nigeria Chaplaincy in the state.

The two who were allegedly disclaimed by the main body of UNC in the state for grossed misconduct which was also published in a national newspaper allegedly collected huge sums of money from about 300 unsuspected innocent people in the state.

According to the statement, “The two commandants were handed over to the police by the State Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey. This follows series of petitions from members of the public who claimed that they paid over N30, 000 each to both suspects in order to gain job recruitment into the organization.”

It further stated that their being handed over to the police was as a result of serious offences they had allegedly committed which included embezzlement and sundry criminal activities and that the government had proscribed UNC in the state.

Reacting to the development, the Regional Commandant of UNC, Bishop Richard Eyamba said that the two arrested persons had long been expelled and that there was a disclaimer of the duo published in a national daily as a result of their suspected criminal activities.

He disclosed that the two arrested persons had been partners in the crime and latter engaged in power tuzzle after their expulsion and had even went ahead to float a parallel group that was not recognized with its office at IBB way, while the main recognized UNC in the state has its office at No. 1 Marry Slessor Avenue, Calabar.

He said that the duo were kicked out of the organization when they allegedly started extorting money from the people and were reported to the police where two of them were arrested and afterwards released on bail.

“After their release, they started formenting trouble in UNC and even threatened to urge the government to close UNC unless they were returned to office. After that, the two broke away and started operating at IBB Way, by Mounting of Fire Church and started recruiting people.

“They printed their own fake forms and were circulating them, we reported them to the Department of Security Service who carried out investigation and saw it was true.

-Vanguardwp_posts