Nigerians React as Pastor Okonkwo Launches N700,000 Matchmaking Service

Relationship coach and lead pastor of David’s Christian Centre (DCC), Kingsley Okonkwo, has launched a matchmaking platform for Christian singles seeking marriage, with membership fees ranging from N70,000 to N700,000 per year. Okonkwo announced the platform, called Mentor To Marry, in a series of posts on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday. The platform is described as a “guided marriage-preparation and matching community for serious Christian singles who desire intentional, Kingdom-minded marriages.”

In his social media posts announcing the platform, Okonkwo argued that relationships have become increasingly commercialised, making it difficult for some single men to find genuine partners. “I feel for the men of this generation…relationships have been so commercialized nowadays that it’s almost impossible for a young man to find true love,” he wrote. In another post, he added: “When we were young, all you had to get was a girl’s phone number but now all they want to send is their account number, now you are expected to pay rent, school fees and transport before you are taken seriously.” The pastor, however, clarified that the platform was not intended to suggest that all women pursue relationships for financial reasons, stating that there are “a lot of good women looking to connect with serious godly men on our platform.”

Unlike conventional dating apps, Mentor To Marry places marriage preparation before matchmaking. Prospective members are required to complete eight weeks of mentoring classes, assessments, and guided reflection before they can access the platform’s matching services. The platform is operated by Love, Dating and Marriage Ministries, a non-profit organisation registered in Nigeria, and is open to Christians aged 25 and above who are unmarried, divorced, or widowed. Applicants must identify as Christians and agree to the platform’s principles on relationships and marriage. Kingsley Okonkwo and his wife, Mildred Okonkwo, are listed among the platform’s founders, bringing pastoral care and marriage mentoring experience to the service. The platform does not guarantee a match or marriage.

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The platform offers three membership tiers, each with different levels of access and support. The Regular Plan costs N70,000 per year and includes eight weeks of mentoring classes, assessments, and surveys; access to limited profiles; an accountability system; five weekly chats; and access to a country-based matching pool. The Premium Plan costs N350,000 per year and includes everything in the Regular package, plus unlimited profile browsing, monthly profile recommendations, priority access to coaches, access to global profiles, 10 weekly chats, and access to private groups. The VIP Plan costs N700,000 per year and includes everything in the Premium package, plus a dedicated matchmaker and coach, priority access to platform founders, 15 weekly chats, off-platform introductions, a profile protection feature, and access to global profiles.

Mentor To Marry includes strict guidelines prohibiting sexual harassment, exploitation, fraud, catfishing, sexually explicit content, and financial exploitation. The platform’s stated philosophy is that the goal is not merely to help singles meet someone but to help them become ready for the kind of marriage they seek. For singles interested in marriage but not ready to enrol in a paid package, Mentor To Marry offers a free singles community.

The announcement has sparked significant backlash on social media, with many Nigerians criticising the pricing structure and questioning the pastor’s motives. Some of the reactions include: “They made you single by telling you this and that is not your husband/wife, their God is yet to show you partner. Now they will cash out on you through matchmaking, not waiting on God again” – @Temijust1; “Christ and his disciples didn’t charge any soul one Kobo but in our time pastors are charging money up and down…They are all businessmen” – @Loadedlink1; and “How did we get to a point where everything around faith seems to come with a heavy price tag?” – @Olaniyi26176099. Other commentators compared the pricing to Islamic marriage practices, with one user noting: “Moslems own, na govt dey pay. Reach Christian own, na the person wey dey find partner go pay.”

Nigerians React as Pastor Okonkwo Launches N700,000 Matchmaking Service

Police challenge VDM to prove officers are aiding kidnappers

The Nigeria Police Force has challenged social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to provide evidence supporting his allegation that some police officers stationed at checkpoints share information about travellers with kidnappers and bandits.

VDM made the allegation while speaking at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he raised concerns about the persistent insecurity and kidnapping incidents affecting Nigerians.

The activist alleged that some police officers manning checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and allegedly pass information about their identities, vehicles and movements to criminal groups.

According to VDM, such information could enable kidnappers and bandits to identify potential victims and target them for abduction and ransom.

He also questioned the continued use of the term “unknown gunmen” by security authorities when reporting attacks, arguing that security agencies should be able to gather sufficient intelligence to identify perpetrators and prevent further attacks.

The allegations prompted a response from the police, which called on VDM to substantiate his claims with verifiable evidence.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said the police were ready to investigate any credible information provided by the activist.

“The Nigeria Police Force hereby invites Mr. Martins Vincent Otse to produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations,” the Force said.

The police specifically asked VDM to provide evidence showing that officers at checkpoints identify wealthy individuals and subsequently transmit information about them to kidnappers or other criminal groups to facilitate their abduction.

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The Force said allegations involving police personnel are treated seriously, adding that any officer found to have compromised their duties would be subjected to disciplinary procedures and prosecution where necessary.

The police, however, rejected what it described as sweeping allegations against the institution, stressing that officers deployed to checkpoints are assigned to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect road users.

The Force said many police personnel routinely confront kidnappers, bandits, terrorists and other violent criminals, sometimes at considerable personal risk.

It noted that several officers have been ambushed, attacked and killed while carrying out security operations, while police stations, formations and other operational facilities have also been targeted by criminal groups.

The Force further argued that the conditions under which many officers operate should be taken into account when assessing the performance of the institution.

According to the police, hundreds of thousands of officers work across the country in difficult and dangerous environments, including locations where criminal groups remain active.

It warned that portraying the entire police institution as complicit in kidnapping without supporting evidence could undermine public confidence and demoralise officers who are performing their duties legitimately.

However, the Force stressed that this position does not mean individual officers accused of misconduct would be protected.

It said officers found to have collaborated with criminals or otherwise compromised their responsibilities would face the appropriate disciplinary and legal consequences.

“Where individual officers are found to have compromised their duty, they will face the full weight of internal discipline and the law,” the police stated.

The Force also encouraged members of the public with credible information about police misconduct to report such cases through the appropriate channels.

It said reports backed by evidence would allow investigators to establish the facts, identify any officers involved and take appropriate action.

The police maintained that legitimate criticism of security agencies remains acceptable but should be distinguished from allegations presented as facts without evidence.

The latest development comes amid continuing concerns over kidnapping and highway insecurity in Nigeria, with travellers, communities and motorists in several parts of the country facing threats from armed criminal groups.

Speaking at the NBA conference, VDM called for a more proactive approach to tackling insecurity, arguing that security agencies should use intelligence to prevent attacks rather than rely mainly on responses after victims have been abducted.

The police response has now placed the focus on evidence, with the Force challenging VDM to substantiate his allegation that checkpoint officers deliberately identify potential kidnapping victims and pass their details to criminal groups.

The Force said it remains committed to transparency, accountability and the investigation of credible allegations, while insisting that no individual officer found to have aided criminal activity would be shielded from the law.

Police challenge VDM to prove officers are aiding kidnappers

‘I Stand With Him 100%’: Wife Defends Odogwu Asaba Against Rape Allegation

The wife of embattled Delta State content creator, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, popularly known as Odogwu of Asaba, has broken her silence, firmly rejecting allegations that her husband raped 20-year-old Favour Agbro. She insists the relationship was a consensual affair and has declared her unwavering support for him. The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, made this known in a video posted on her husband’s social media page on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. The Delta State Police Command had earlier arrested Ogbonna, 40, over the alleged rape of Favour, who later died after ingesting a toxic substance.

In the emotional video, Ogbonna’s wife firmly rejected the rape allegation against her husband. “Odogwu Asaba did not kill anybody. I know my husband…. Odogwu Asaba did not rape Favour. Odogwu Asaba only had an affair with the girl,” she said. She maintained that she has never known her husband to be capable of such an act: “He cannot rape, he has never. Even when he did not have fame, he did not rape anybody, is it now?” She stated that she had been following developments surrounding the case before deciding to speak publicly, adding that she would continue to stand by him: “I am trying to follow the matter the right way; I have not been silent. I want to let you people know that no matter what happened, he is my husband and I stand with him 100%. I’m not going to turn my back on him.”

The woman urged the public not to rely solely on social media discussions as the final word on the case, stressing that the matter should be allowed to follow due legal process. “How I feel, what I feel, how I see it is my personal decision. Everything is not actually the way they presented it. Before I could come out to talk, I have learnt a lot about this matter. Social media is not a courtroom. You people should bear that in mind.” Acknowledging the death of Favour, she said the seriousness of the incident was why she had approached the matter cautiously: “Yes, someone has died and that is why we are taking it easy. But Odogwu Asaba did not kill anybody.” She added that her husband would have the opportunity to give his own account of what happened when he returns.

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The woman disclosed that she had been married to Ogbonna for eight years, and they have four children together.

The Delta State Police Command had earlier detailed the allegations against Ogbonna. According to police spokesperson SP Bright Edafe, Favour travelled to Asaba on June 1, 2026, after Ogbonna allegedly offered to teach her how to monetise her TikTok and Facebook pages through content creation. Upon her arrival in Asaba, the suspect allegedly took her to a hotel, where he allegedly raped and physically assaulted her. Favour later returned home visibly distressed and disclosed the incident to her parents. In the aftermath of the alleged assault, she recorded a video recounting her experience and the emotional distress she suffered. She subsequently ingested a toxic substance and died while receiving treatment. Police said Ogbonna was arrested after the deceased’s family submitted a petition. The command later said Ogbonna would be charged to court.

Favour’s mother, in an interview with BBC Pidgin, offered a starkly different account, alleging that her daughter was threatened. She said Favour had told her that Ogbonna threatened to use the “juju” of his town to kill her if she spoke out. The mother also revealed that Favour had told Ogbonna she was a virgin before travelling to Asaba, making it clear she was not interested in any romantic or sexual relationship. According to her mother, Favour said: “I’m a virgin, I’ve never had sex before. I’m hoping that as you’re helping me, you won’t take anything from me—I’m still young.” Favour’s family has also spoken about the overwhelming financial distress they are facing, reportedly incurring ₦7 million in debt trying to save Favour’s life at the hospital.

Ogbonna has not been convicted of any offence, and the rape allegation remains subject to investigation and determination through the appropriate legal process.

‘I Stand With Him 100%’: Wife Defends Odogwu Asaba Against Rape Allegation