For millions of Nigerians, places of worship remain sanctuaries of hope where prayers are offered for healing, prosperity, protection and answers to life’s most difficult challenges. Yet behind the pulpit and the prayer mat, a troubling reality has emerged in which faith, one of society’s most treasured values, is increasingly being manipulated for personal enrichment. In this investigative report, HENRY DIYO examines the growing phenomenon of religious fraud in Nigeria, the devastating impact on victims and the urgent calls by religious leaders and stakeholders for greater accountability within the country’s flourishing faith community
In a nation where churches and mosques seem to sprout faster than new businesses, and where faith fills the vacuum left by economic hardship and weak institutions, a darker shadow has emerged: religious fraud.
Pastors, imams and self-styled prophets are increasingly accused of exploiting desperate congregants with fake miracles, false prophecies and elaborate financial schemes, turning houses of worship into lucrative enterprises.
In the bustling streets of Lagos, Abuja and Jos, billboards promise instant miracles, deliverance, wealth and breakthroughs. Neon-lit crusades draw desperate crowds seeking healing from ailments, deliverance from poverty or prophecies of political success.
Yet behind the fervent prayers and “Amens”, a darker trend is surging across Nigeria: the proliferation of fake pastors and imams exploiting faith for personal gain.
Nigeria’s religious landscape is one of the most vibrant and crowded in the world.
With a population split roughly between Muslims and Christians, alongside a smaller number of traditional worshippers and atheists, the country boasts some of the highest numbers of churches and mosques globally.
Pentecostal and charismatic movements have expanded rapidly since the 1990s, alongside a proliferation of independent ministries.
Estimates suggest the religious industry could be worth over N500 trillion by some projections, fuelled by tithes, offerings, seeds and donations from millions seeking divine intervention for jobs, healing, visas and wealth.
Yet this growth has come with a steep human cost.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested pastors and imams for fraud, including cases involving billions of naira.
In one high-profile instance, Apostle Theophilus Ebonyi of Faith on the Rock Ministry International was detained over an alleged N1.3 billion scheme involving fake grants from the Ford Foundation.
Victims, often church members, were reportedly asked to pay fees to access non-existent multimillion-dollar opportunities.
Other cases abound.
Pastor Tobi Adegboyega of SPAC Nation faced allegations linked to millions in fraud in the United Kingdom.
Fake miracle syndicates have also been exposed, with individuals admitting to being paid to stage healings or testimonies.
In one Enugu case, a woman was arraigned in connection with a fabricated N500 million mansion testimony at a popular ministry.
A victim and student of the University of Jos, Collins Kangnaan, recounted his encounter with an assumed pastor along Bauchi Ring Road.
“I usually gave him my vehicle to drive, especially when he had church-related functions, until one day he drove off and never returned,” he revealed.
Kangnaan continued: “Apparently, he sold the vehicle without my consent and relocated to another state with the money.”
“Right now, I do not do any form of business with any man of God again. Once you say you are a pastor, the deal is off,” he added.
Another victim, who spoke on condition of anonymity, highlighted how a prophet allegedly sexually assaulted her while also scamming her parents out of money and foodstuffs through his deliverance camp.
“Just because I was a little bit stubborn as a teenager, he claimed I was demon-possessed and made my parents abandon me with him while he sexually abused me,” she said.
“My parents paid for prayers, anointing oil and my feeding. They paid for everything until they could not anymore. They even sent bags of rice and yam to him,” she told reporters.
“While I was with him, he sexually assaulted me and now my parents cannot look me in the eye anymore because they are ashamed of what they have done to me by taking me to him,” she added.
Mechanics of religious exploitation
Staged miracles remain one of the most common methods employed by religious fraudsters. Hired actors or willing participants feign deafness, paralysis or poverty, only to be “healed” on stage.
Exposés have revealed networks of so-called miracle assistants moving from one ministry to another.
One story often cited involved the supposed miraculous healing of a boy said to have been blind from birth. After receiving his healing in church, the boy reportedly ran directly into the congregation and embraced his mother, prompting suspicions about how he could immediately recognise her if he had truly been blind.
False prophecies and spiritual audits also feature prominently. Some clerics claim supernatural insight into victims’ lives, often gathered through informants, social media activity or paid spies, before demanding sacrificial seeds, special offerings or personal favours in exchange for deliverance.
One account tells of a retired lecturer who purchased a Prado Jeep with his gratuity and retirement benefits and innocently drove it to church. According to the story, the pastor later claimed to have received divine instruction directing the owner to surrender the vehicle to him.
Investment and grant scams have also become common.
These schemes often promise divine prosperity through church-linked businesses, foreign grants or special anointing for visas and employment opportunities. An alleged church-related Fadama investment scam involving about N178 million in Plateau State in 2001 still leaves bitter memories for many residents.
Sexual exploitation represents another disturbing dimension. Women, in particular, have reported pastors demanding intimacy as a spiritual requirement for breakthroughs.
Cases such as that of Bishop Feyi Daniels, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape, have highlighted the overlap between financial and sexual abuse.
Muslim clerics are not immune to similar allegations. EFCC operations have involved Islamic figures accused of fraud, while reports continue to surface of fake alfas deceiving followers through charms, fake spiritual cleansing rituals and fraudulent investment schemes disguised as religious services.
In one EFCC case in 2019 involving Mallam Abdulrashid Imam in Kaduna State, he allegedly defrauded a victim of N3 million and 24,000 dollars after claiming he possessed the ability to transfer Quranic knowledge into a person’s mind through the use of jinns.
In another case, Alhaji Lateef Ahmed and several other alfas were reportedly arrested in Ilorin and Lagos for stealing millions.
In one instance, a victim was allegedly hypnotised, held for months and charged N10 million for a spiritual sacrifice involving charms.
Another account tells of a syndicate of alfas in Sagamu, Ogun State, who were arrested by the EFCC in 2018 for allegedly collaborating with herbalists to prepare charms used in online fraud.
Crisis of faith, public confidence
The impact of these activities is profound. Victims often lose life savings, homes and businesses.
Some experience worsening health conditions after abandoning medical treatment in favour of faith healing.
Trust in genuine religious institutions is also eroded as many people begin questioning the credibility of all clerics. Social commentators note that while religion provides comfort and community, unchecked commercialisation fosters dependency, discourages hard work and diverts resources from productive sectors.
Fraudsters prey on Nigeria’s deep religiosity and widespread socio-economic challenges. High unemployment, inadequate healthcare and poverty drive many people towards prayer houses that promise instant solutions through carefully orchestrated layers of deception.
“Religion has replaced industry in many ways,” one observer remarked, reflecting a growing concern that Nigeria continues to build more worship centres than hospitals or factories.
Driven by these concerns, reporters visited religious leaders and representatives of major churches and mosques within the Jos metropolis.
Pastor Julius Arabo, Plateau State Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), acknowledged that isolated cases of religious fraud exist.
“There are isolated incidents of religious fraud within the church, but it depends on the denomination. I am from COCIN, and there are mechanisms in place to tackle such situations if they arise,” he explained.
“Most cases of religious fraud usually happen in one-man denominations where the pastor controls everything without a governing structure to oversee affairs.”
Arabo stressed that CAN does not tolerate such behaviour.
“CAN frowns at such actions. It is unbiblical and unacceptable. No pastor or clergy involved in fraud is accepted. Where reports of such incidents arise, CAN takes disciplinary action through its investigative and disciplinary directorate,” he added.
Flight Lieutenant Imran Zakariyya Hassan, Chief Imam of the 551 Nigerian Air Force Base, Jos, also expressed concern.
“It is worrisome to see the rate of prosperity preachers in our society today. In Islam, we also have some religious fraudsters who exploit gullible followers for monetary gain,” he said.
“This type of charlatan should never be taken seriously. They are criminals in religious attire. In Islam, seeking the aid of jinns or other mortal beings in matters that should be entrusted to Almighty God is considered polytheism, and polytheism is a grave offence in Islam.”
He called for government intervention. “The government needs to initiate policies that regulate religious preaching. This will help curb deceptive teachings by charlatans,” he suggested.
Calls for reform, accountability
Associate Professor Yusuf Abdullahi Yusuf, Assistant Secretary-General of the Association of Nigerian Imams, shared similar concerns.
“Ninety-eight per cent of imams found engaging in fraudulent acts do not pass through the rigorous training required to become an imam. The learning process begins from childhood under the tutelage of scholars and through proper deputisation,” he said.
“When you assess the activities of these fraudsters, you often find that a wealthy individual or politician builds a mosque and appoints someone as imam who is not qualified for the role.”
Yusuf advocated stronger oversight.
“We need a system of checks and balances by government to regulate the emergence of pastors and imams,” he suggested.
“Secondly, a system should be created internally within the Islamic community to train and properly select potential imams.”
“Thirdly, we need collaboration with media organisations to engage imams in discussions and awareness campaigns about religious and spiritual fraud. We need this enlightenment,” he concluded.
Pastor Confidence Nwoke of Overcomers Christian Mission, Anguldi Branch, Jos South LGA, also expressed concern over the growing number of questionable religious leaders.
“Many are not called by God but are rather calling upon God for their own selfish benefits,” he said.
“Many false prophets deceive people through fake miracles. Some even cast out demons using demonic powers and charms. I once saw someone using a snake in church, and I was left dumbfounded.”
“People need to open their eyes and ears to identify fraudsters disguised as prophets. They need to be mindful because many who call themselves ministers today are not genuinely called. It is best they avoid them,” Nwoke advised.
Major denominations and oversight bodies have repeatedly condemned these excesses. Christian associations and Islamic councils occasionally disassociate themselves from rogue operators, but regulation remains weak.
Nigeria’s secular constitution and the sensitivity surrounding religious matters make blanket oversight difficult.
Calls for stronger laws, financial audits of large ministries and greater public awareness of warning signs continue to grow louder. As Nigeria grapples with economic pressures, the attraction of quick divine solutions remains powerful.
Without greater accountability through self-regulation, law enforcement and increased scepticism among worshippers, the continued expansion of churches, mosques and ministries risks further damaging the integrity of a deeply religious nation.
The faithful are, therefore, left with an age-old question that has become increasingly urgent: in the house of God, who is truly serving the divine, and who is merely serving themselves?