Topnews
ARCHBISHOP IN LAND SCANDAL: Bid to Unmask Anglican Bishop Ibezim Before EFCC Stalls as Court Case is Smashed by Transfer Plot
Loading …AWKA — The high-stakes legal battle to vacate an emergency court order shielding the Anglican Archbishop of the Province of the Niger, Most Rev. Dr. Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim, from anti-graft investigations has suffered a major setback at the Anambra State High Court.
The case, which centers on massive fraud allegations involving the unauthorized sale of church properties, ground to a sudden halt following a dramatic, last-minute application by the Archbishop’s legal team to strip the trial judge of his jurisdiction over the matter.
Allegations: The Systemic Asset Stripping of Awka Diocese
The judicial standoff stems from a detailed petition submitted to the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on July 28, 2025. Filed by Chief G. Tagbo (SAN) on behalf of Bonti Onuigbo—an aggrieved member of the Incorporated Registered Trustees of the Anglican Diocese of Awka—the petition exposes deep administrative fractures at the highest levels of the church.
Drawing heavily from facts compiled by the former Registrar of the Diocese, Barr. Sir Chris Adimora, the petition accuses Archbishop Ibezim of unilaterally selling off almost all the highly valuable landed properties belonging to the Diocese.
The petitioner maintains that these multi-million Naira real estate transactions were executed completely behind the backs of the church’s Registered Board of Trustees (BOT). Crucially, the deal allegedly bypassed key structural gatekeepers, including the former Chancellor of the Diocese, Justice O. J. Okeke (JCA), a highly respected retired Judge of the Court of Appeal.
The Legal Maneuver: Shielding the Bishop from the EFCC
To block an imminent criminal investigation, Archbishop Ibezim’s legal team previously launched a preemptive strike at the Ekwulobia High Court, successfully obtaining an ex-parte injunction that legally barred the EFCC from inviting, arresting, or investigating him.
The timeline of the legal standoff reveals a calculated, prolonged battle over the anti-graft agency’s statutory powers:
| Timeline / Key Date | Judicial & Administrative Event | Operational Status of EFCC Investigation |
| October 7, 2025 | EFCC issues an official invitation letter to Archbishop Ibezim, signed by Farouk Abdullah on behalf of the Zonal Director. | Active tracking initiated prior to the commission becoming aware of any pending counter-litigation. |
| Late 2025 | High Court grants an ex-parte restraining order to the Archbishop; EFCC Counsel A. C. Okoli agrees to maintain the status quo. | Investigation formally suspended pending the determination of the motion on notice. |
| May 14, 2026 | Original date slated for both parties to adopt written addresses to either sustain or destroy the restraining order. | Postponed due to complex preliminary motions raised in court. |
| June 23, 2026 | Adjourned hearing date for adoption of addresses before Justice Ike Ogu of Awka High Court No. 1. | Abruptly stalled at an advanced stage by a fresh application for case transfer. |
Perceived Bias vs. Delay Tactics
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, when Justice Ike Ogu was positioned to receive the final written addresses and fix a definitive date for judgment, the Archbishop’s lead counsel, Beluolisa Nwofor (SAN), threw a wrench into the proceedings. Nwofor filed a sudden application demanding that the case be entirely stripped from Justice Ogu and reassigned to another court, citing “perceived bias” and claiming his client could not get a fair trial.
The move was met with fierce resistance from Chief G. Tagbo (SAN), counsel to the petitioner. Tagbo blasted the application as a transparent, bad-faith “delay tactic” designed purely to buy time, frustrate the core substance of the fraud petition, and indefinitely extend the protective blanket of the ex-parte order over the Archbishop.
Chief Judge to Decide Fate of the Case
In his ruling, Justice Ike Ogu chose to step aside from the immediate proceedings to protect the integrity of the judiciary, ordering that the entire case file be transmitted to the Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu.
Justice Ogu subsequently adjourned the matter to September 17, 2026. The Chief Judge will now use the intervening period to review the file and make a definitive administrative determination: either reassigning the explosive church fraud scandal to a brand-new judge, or ordering Justice Ike Ogu to return to the bench and force both parties to conclude their arguments. Until then, the multi-billion Naira EFCC probe into the Awka Anglican Diocese remains completely frozen.
Related
