The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared the Pastor of Christ Embassy, Onyinmiebi Bribena (Miebi Baraza) and his wife Beatrice Bribena wanted for carrying out a ponzi scheme fraud to the tune of N2bn.
The EFCC made this known through an alert urging persons with information about them to contact any of its offices across Nigeria.
The Bribena family are the promoters of Baraza Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited. Onyinmiebi Bribena is also a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa state.
He is accused of scamming thousands, including his church members, of billions of naira after promising a 25 percent Return on Investment (ROI) monthly.
In 2021, the victims repeatedly visited the company’s headquarters on Otiotio Road in Yenagoa to seek a refund. The EFCC has sealed the building.
The company also has branches in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers capital, and some other parts of the country.
Baraza had informed investors it was trading with their money on forex platforms but stopped after it could no longer pay returns.
Last July, Bribena released a video to debunk speculations that his health and business were failing.
“Ignore such news. If I did not faint since, is it now that I will faint? I don’t know whether some people are angry that Baraza could bounce back”, he said.
On Friday, June 11, the EFCC however declared the couple wanted. “The general public is hereby notified that Onyinmiebi Bribena and Beatrice Bribena are wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” the alert read.
