identified as Timothy Ngwu, is the General Overseer of
Holy Trinity Ministry [aka Vineyard Ministry] in
Umudikwere Community in the University town.
Ironically, police sources say the suspect claims he was
directed by the Holy Spirit to sleep with female
members of his church in the name of God.
How he was exposed
Crime Guard gathered that the alleged sexual exploits
of the self-acclaimed man of God was blown open by
his estranged wife, Veronica Ngwu, who hails from Udi
Local Government Area in Enugu State.
The wife who has three children for the pastor was
reportedly not comfortable with the ugly development
and she lodged a complaint at the Anti-Child Trafficking
Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department, CID,
Enugu.This led to the arrest of the pastor.
Veronica’s case
It was learnt that during interrogation, the estranged
wife of the pastor informed detectives that she escaped
from the ministry with one of her daughters after her
husband impregnated her niece and claimed he was
obeying the directives of the Holy Spirit and a
prophetic revelation.
She also informed detectives led by Gloria Udoka, a
Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, that the situation
at the church was better imagined than witnessed,
alleging that her husband converts married women and
single girls to his own and impregnates all of them
while pretending to be obeying spiritual directives.
Pastor’s claims
The pastor reportedly claimed that he had sexual
intercourse with women in his ministry as a result of
directives from the Holy Spirit and with the consent of
their husbands, if married, but for the single ones, a
spiritual directive.
Ngwu, until his arrest, was a Scrutiny Officer and
Statistician with the National Bureau of Statistics, one
time assistant Catechist at St. John’s Catholic Church,
Ihe-Umudikwere, Nsukka where he inducts married
women and young girls seeking solution to their
problems or favour. He was chased out of the Catholic
Church and he started his own church.
Police Statement
The police in Enugu also alluded to the allegations
when they issued a statement through the Public
Relations Officer, DSP Ebere Amarizu, stating that two
women among others in the enclave of the Vineyard,
left their husbands to reside with the General Overseer.
According to the statement, the two women identified
as Calista Omeje and Assumpta Odo confirmed that
they left their husbands to live with the General
Overseer on the prophetic injunction to do the will of
God.
The statement noted that Calista revealed that she had
10 children for her husband but was later impregnated
by the General Overseer and that the baby died later.
She also said that she gave out her daughter to the
General Overseer to be impregnated, an act she
described as “the fulfillment of the Will of God.”
The police spokesman noted in the statement that the
pastor said he had five wives with 13 children apart
from other concubines he had following the prophetic
directive to do the will of God. The Pastor, according to
him, said that Veronica used to be his wife but
described her as ‘a falling wife.’ He also said, “ I do not
do anything with any married woman until the full
consent and agreement were sought and reached
between the husband in line with the directives of the
Holy Spirit to do the will of God, which is an act of
spirituality.”
Inside the Ministry
When Crime Guard traced the Vineyard Ministry, it was
discovered to be located right inside the compound of
the father of the General Overseer without any sign
post, while about 15 women and four men were seen
taking lessons from an elderly woman who acts as an
instructor in the vineyard.
The entrance to the Vineyard was barricaded with
heavy iron gate which bares non-members. However, a
man who identified himself as Hilary told our reporter
after a heated argument that the General Overseer
traveled,and advised harshly that the reporter should
go back.
As soon as Hilary left to invite others to compel the
reporter to leave the premises, the reporter peeped
through an opening and saw a large number of
children and adult women scattered inside the
compound barricaded with iron gate.
Neighbours react
When Crime Guard spoke with some residents of the
area, they intimated that every thing about the ministry
was shrouded in secrecy, alleging that children born
inside the ministry are usually confined within the
compound and denied communication with any other
person outside. The children have are denied formal
education, except the doctrine of the ministry.
....Brother too
A brother to the pastor who pleaded anonymity told
Crime Guard that he was not surprised that police
invaded the ministry, explaining that all warnings by
members of the family to compel Timothy to desist
from the act fell on deaf ears.
“Let me tell you, God’s anger has befallen my brother.
We have appealed to him several times to stop what he
was doing but he refused. He has colonized our
compound, bearing children with recklessness. He
accused us of being jealous of him because he is doing
the Will of God,”he stated.
Lamentations
Nodding his head in disgust, he continued, “look at
these buildings here, he has converted all of them to
himself in the name of vineyard. I can’t say exactly
what influenced his spirit to the devilish act in the
name of God.
He sacked his betrothed wife who has three children
for him and embarked on impregnating married
women and young girls. Look at the whole compound
littered with children of different sexes and ages. How
can an educated man of his status reason like an
unrefined man? All members of the vineyard are fools.
How can a woman abandon her husband for another
man in the name of worshiping God and practice
adultery? I cannot get myself involved in this matter;
Vero has opened the vessel of worms in the vineyard.
Let them sort themselves out with the police but I want
the ministry to be shut down completely,” he
explained.
Excommunication
Investigations also revealed that the Pastor Ngwu was
chased out of the St. John’s Catholic Church, Ihe-
Owerri, Nsukka as an Assistant Catechist when Bishop
Emeritus of Nsukka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Francis Okobo,
discovered that he was teaching heresy. He reportedly
called him to order but he would not listen.
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