Euphemia Ede, a young woman living with sickle cell disease, has publicly accused Bishop Samuel Onyeagoziri, the head of Champions of the Truth Church in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, of exploiting her under the guise of offering a cure for her illness.
During a recent podcast appearance, Ms. Ede revealed that the bishop had been engaging in sexual relations with her since 2021, a period when she was still attending secondary school.
The podcast segment was shared on Facebook earlier this week, sparking widespread attention.
Reports indicate that Ms. Ede’s revelations followed the circulation of an explicit video allegedly featuring her and the bishop.
While Bishop Onyeagoziri has dismissed the footage as a product of artificial intelligence manipulation, Ms. Ede firmly denied this, stating, “That video is genuine. I am the person in it. Since 2021, I have pleaded with him to remove it, but he refused. Now he is fabricating stories to evade responsibility.”
In her interview, Ms. Ede recounted the tragic loss of three siblings to complications from sickle cell disease, underscoring her family’s desperation to find a solution for her condition.
Her parents, seeking spiritual intervention, were introduced to the bishop, who promised healing but imposed a disturbing condition: she must engage in sexual acts with him for seven consecutive days.
At the time, Ms. Ede was a senior secondary school student and a virgin. She reluctantly consented, driven by fear and hope for recovery.
“He assured me that after sleeping with me for seven days straight, my genotype would transform from SS to AA. He claimed many others had been cured this way,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion. “Both my parents and I were desperate. He was the one who took my virginity.”
Contrary to the bishop’s assertions, Ms. Ede’s health did not improve; in fact, her sickle cell crises intensified while she remained under his control, often threatened and confined in his home.
She further accused the bishop of brandishing a rifle to intimidate her and coercing her into posing for nude photographs during their encounters.
“People see those images and think I was happy, but it was fear that forced my smile. He warned me that if I disobeyed, he would kill me and no one would ever find out,” she disclosed.
Ms. Ede recounted multiple attempts to escape the bishop’s influence between 2021 and 2025, all thwarted by his threats against her and her family.
The situation escalated in 2025 when the bishop, already married and significantly older, demanded to wed her.
This scandal has provoked outrage throughout Ebonyi State, with calls for thorough investigations by law enforcement, the Christian Association of Nigeria, and advocacy groups for women’s rights.
Authorities confirmed that Bishop Onyeagoziri was apprehended at his residence in Abakaliki on Wednesday, according to PREMIUM TIMES sources.
He was seen on Thursday morning providing a statement to the police’s Crack Team at the state headquarters.
Police spokesperson Joshua Ukandu verified the arrest, explaining that it followed a formal complaint lodged against the cleric.
“The inquiry is ongoing, and he remains in police custody,” Superintendent Ukandu stated.