Nigeria EFCC traps Pastor Kelechi Esimogu in multi-million naira NDDC contract sting

The intersection of faith, politics, and public service has taken a dramatic turn in Abuja as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) apprehended Pastor Kelechi Benwosely Esimogu. The high profile arrest took place late Wednesday night at a popular lounge in the Wuse district, ending a calculated game of hide and seek between the cleric and federal investigators.

Esimogu, who holds a dual role as an employee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and a prominent leader at Powercity International in Port Harcourt, now faces intense scrutiny over allegations of massive financial misconduct.

The investigation was triggered by a wave of petitions from private firms claiming they were swindled out of hundreds of millions of naira. According to the complainants, Esimogu leveraged her official position within the NDDC to market herself as a powerful power broker capable of securing lucrative government projects.

However, the promised contracts never materialized. Instead, investigators are pursuing leads that suggest the diverted funds were funneled directly into political mobilization efforts as Esimogu reportedly prepared for an upcoming election run in her home state of Imo.

Before her capture, the cleric had allegedly evaded several invitations from the anti-graft agency by frequently switching hotels and maintaining a mobile lifestyle. This arrest adds another dark chapter to the history of the NDDC, an institution created in 2000 to revitalize Nigeria’s oil-rich regions but which has instead become synonymous with systemic corruption and thousands of abandoned projects.

While EFCC spokespeople have yet to release a formal statement regarding the specific charges, sources confirm that the scope of the probe is widening as more victims come forward to report similar fraudulent encounters with the influential pastor.

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