Due to some grievances among some members of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke Sapele, a protest was mobilized against the Bishop in a youth summit held on 28th July, 2015.
The Gates into the Cathedral and back exit was all locked against the Bishop and his wife and those with him. The back exit has to be broken for the Bishop to come out. The Primate, N.D. Okoh was alerted as well as the Provincial Archbishop Friday Imeakhai.
The Primate Okoh, was abroad for an official duty that week. He sent an immediate message to the protesting group to calm down pending when he would return. He also asked them to be peaceful and law abiding, and open the locked gate of the church for worship. He directed the Archbishop Imeakhai and a number of other bishops from far and near to represent him at the scene of protest and resolve the issue. But shamefully, these people rejected all peaceful appeals.
Letters upon letters were written to them but never accepted. The legal department of the Diocese has to approach a high court in udu to seek court injunction to open the cathedral gate for worship. It was that the protesters complied with. And the Diocese dropped the case from continuing.
These people rose into bigger propensity by collating a list of offences of the Bishop which concerns financial misappropriation, infidelity, high handedness, insult of elders and many flippant talks. And were published on social Media, and they went from church to church to buy the unguarded church wardens to join them in the fight against the bishop. While many rejected them, they won about 5 of them. And some members of some churches joined them. They named themselves, Rescue Sapele Diocese group.
They went to report the Bishop “crimes” to the Area command Police at Ughelli, who they push to do a public arrest. But they failed first attempt. And invited the Bishop and many others. This was honoured but they found no proof to hold the bishop.
They went to the EFCC with same allegations on two different occasions of different years. The Bishop and many clergy and staff of the Diocese were invited. They went with overwhelming proofs of innocence. But those complainers could not prove their case. Despite the EFCC secret investigators going underground to see these matter, no fact emerged against the bishop.
These same people went to seek arrest of the Bishop at the Zone 5 police at Benin. But while the Diocese produced counter claim of bishops abduction on July 28 at the cathedral, the police boss resorted to invite both parties for peace talk. And in that occasion, a committee was set up headed by bishop Christian Ide to look at the merit of the matter. Set up thru the Archbishop
The Bishop Ide Committee was first accepted by them but their unacceptable demand for proof from the bishop defence documents, which they couldn’t get made them to walk out of the committee. There were many individuals who were concerned including the ovies of Oghara, Idjerhe, and Orodje of Okpe, who called them to discuss and settle the impasse but they rejected their calls. Only the Bishop’s side attended.
While all of that was on, there were invention and peace meetings at the Diocese level, Provincial levels at Esan, peace.committees from time to time, none of the was allowed to work and resolve the issue. Church of Nigeria set up a dispute resolution committee headed by Archbishop chukwuma of Enugu Province, in June 4, 2017.
The Committee, instead of meeting with both sides separately and getting facts, they abused the process. They were going to protesters to get accommodation, kolanuts, etc, the meetings the diocese had with them was used to humiliate the Bishop’s side and shut them up from giving evidence. But they allowed the protesters to visit the Archbishop Chukwuma at Enugu flippantly like Jerusalem Pilgrimage, just to sway Justice. When all that was happening, the clergy and lay People of Sapele Diocese wrote to the respective bodies to alert them of the marhandling of the case by the Archbishop Chukwuma committee. But no response came. At last, the promises they received from anyone of that committee, to nail the Bishop by flimsy allegations did not materialize.
Meanwhile, these protesters had gone on to sue the Diocese and the Bishop and Archbishop of Bendel in the High Court, in 2016. And the Archbishop Chukwuma committee did not make them step the case down. They lost the case after some years due to inability to prove their case.
The New Primate, Henry Ndukuba, when he resumed duty in 2020, his first point of assignment was Sapele Diocese. He visited the cathedral church of St. Luke Sapele, spend the whole day with them but their adamant nature didn’t end the problem.
He invited both parties to Abuja Sept 2020. Talks went well by all. But on return to Sapele, they send message back to Abuja on same refusal.
A new Committee CONARC by the National Church has been in this matter for about 2 or more years, with all effort to get the matter resolve. But these people who has no solid ground to prove their case still stand where they were.
Since these ten years, many of the members of those churches suffered lack of episcopal services. The primate, trying to given them spiritual oversight, set up those churches under a name, Special Archdeaconry, with 6 churches, with one of their senior priests as Supervisory priest, and those set up to be under his primatial chaplaincy.
Not all members in those churches with them are supporting them but they remained there to keep themselves in their native church. Many outcry from them to Primate to end this crisis has been on. More persons who used to have sentiment with the protesters have turned, they also want peace restored.
The Primate, after receiving the report of the CONARC committee, directed with a letter, that the rescue group or special Archdeaconry, is dissolved, and directed the clergy with them should go and submit to their bishop, and a reconciliation service be held for all at the cathedral of St. Luke on Jan.18. The protesters still mobilized to block off the Primate’s representatives (Archbishop, bishops, CONARC, Bishop Erifeta, congregations across Sapele Diocese that day.
The service has to be held elsewhere and returnees received and prayed for.
They still went to some of the churches this next Sunday Jan 25, 2026, to disrupt service again, in St. Andrew Sapele.
For those who don’t know, Sapele Diocese has 17 Archdeaconries, with about 80 clergy. And over 100 congratulations working with the Bishop, doing ministry and planting churches with crusades, evangelism, discipleship Activities etc.
Those protesting are few persons from within the cathedral and few churches, not the whole of those churches, and since that January 18, many are back to the Diocese.
How can the church of Nigeria allow this problem to continue?
Where is the crime of the Bishop, to warrant any punishment when the those that allege any crime cannot prove it?
Venerable Theophilus Usikaro
Diocesan Communicator, Diocese of Sapele
