By CHARLES IWUOHA

The General Overseer of Champion Cathedral, Abakaliki, Bishop Prof Sam Onyeagoziri, has declared that those trying to tarnish his image with blackmail and falsehood over an alleged sex tape will not succeed.

A picture of a nude young girl, which the cleric said is falsely linked to him, began circulating on social media last Friday, with claims that it originated from his stolen phone.

The images have since spread across platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram.

Reacting to the development in Abakaliki, Bishop Prof Onyeagoziri maintained that he remained steadfast in his calling and would not be distracted by what he described as desperate attempts by detractors to discredit his ministry.

“I lost my phone on 1st September 2025 and officially reported it to the Nigeria Police Headquarters, Crack Department, Abakaliki, on 2nd September 2025. Those who stole the phone have since resorted to using advanced AI technology to doctor my old pictures with a nude girl and circulate them widely on social media. They even went as far as posting the images on my community WhatsApp groups, Ogbako Onicha and Onicha OIS,” he explained.

He dismissed the allegations as baseless, insisting that the growth of Champion Cathedral and the impact of its outreach programmes had unsettled some individuals, leading them to resort to malicious campaigns.

“But despite how viral the pictures have gone, all I can say is that my enemies can never succeed with their blackmail. The hand of God upon this ministry is too strong for lies to prevail. Every attempt to pull us down will only elevate us further,” the cleric declared.

Bishop Onyeagoziri urged members of his congregation and the general public not to be swayed by negative reports, assuring them that truth would always triumph over falsehood.

He also advised Christians to remain focused on their faith and not allow envy, hatred, or unfounded allegations to derail their divine purpose.

Reaffirming his commitment to humanitarian services, the cleric said the church would continue expanding its programmes in education, medical outreach, and empowerment schemes for widows, youths, and the less privileged.

Worshippers at the service expressed strong solidarity with their spiritual leader, describing him as a man of integrity under attack because of the remarkable transformation Champion Cathedral had experienced under his guidance.