News
Crisis as Catholic Bishop sacks Holy Ghost priests from 150 years Congregation
The Holy Ghost Fathers are Missionary priests who came to Nigeria in the 19th century and landed in Onitsha. They continued their missionary work in parts of Eastern Nigeria, building schools and churches.Some of them settled at Ihiala, an accessible town along the Onitsha-Owerri road and built one of the most magnificent churches in Igbo land.
In fact, once Ihiala is mentioned, what comes to mind is the Holy Ghost Fathers, St Martin of Tours Church, the Holy Ghost Juniorate which was established for the formation of priests, Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital, which today is one of the biggest hospitals in Anambra State, the Convent where the Immaculate Heart Sisters reside and the defunct Elementary Teachers College (ETC), which was also established for the training of teachers for the Missionary schools.
Recently, the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, His Lordship, Most Reverend Jonas Benson Okoye announced the takeover of St Martin of Tours Parish from the Holy Ghost Fathers and hinted of his desire to post his Diocesan priests to the parish.
He also took over Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, which is opposite the church, from the Immaculate Heart Sisters and asked the sisters to leave the convent.
It was however gathered that he left the Holy Ghost Juniorate, a seminary and the Spiritan Farms, Okija, for the Holy Ghost Fathers.
This decision did not go down well with Ihiala people and they are protesting.
The people argued that the land where these institutions were established was acquired “ab initio” for residence of the Rev. Sisters , their Schools, hospital, maternity, servants’ quarters, women training center etc”
They said: “There was a purpose clause of the lease for the land signed by the owners and late Bishop Charles Herrey, who was then Catholic Bishop of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province under which Ihiala was part of in 1933.
“The sisters built their residence there since 1933. They also built, ran the hospital and other facilities to profitability and the Bishop wants to take all these away from them. Yet not satisfied by taking away the hospital and other facilities they built, nurtured to enviable standard, the Bishop wants now to eject them from the convent, their birth place, uproot their taproot as it were in this part of the world.
“This, the Ihiala Community in general and the original land owners in particular, are protesting and threatening to revoke the lease and take back their land if the Bishop continues in his push to negate the purpose clause of the lease.
“We as a peace loving people want peace to reign in Ihiala and other communities alike. For this we want the Catholic Bishop, Most. Rev Jonas Benson to revert to “status quo” and allow the Rev. Sisters live in peace, carry out their avowed religious lives they chose for themselves without further molestation and intimidation; run their institutions even in partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi on agreed terms. Anything short of this is not acceptable to our people”.
The people said that following the alleged refusal of the Bishop to reply a letter they addressed to him on the issue, they decided to hold a peaceful Rosary procession in the church premises to drive home their points.
The Crown Prince of Ihiala, Orjiewulu Udeorji, who is a member of the parish said: “We embarked on this prayer procession to ask for God’s intervention on what is about to happen in our parish. The Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese has sacked the Holy Ghost Fathers from our Parish and about to replace them with those he termed his own Priests. Our people have made him to know that it is not acceptable to us.
“It is the Holy Ghost Fathers that brought development to our town. Holy Ghost Fathers and Ihiala people are in partnership. They are also priests of God and of the Catholic faith. So where is he sacking them to ? They have been with us for the past one hundred and fifty something years.. Let the Bishop leave them for us.
Another parishioner, Mr Linus Nnubia said: “The prayer procession was organized by our parishioners to beg God to touch the heart of our Bishop. He should reverse his order for the Holy Ghost Fathers to vacate our parish. Our people do not accept it but we do not want to use violence in registering our anger.
On his part, Mr Pauly Izuora said: “We are using this prayer rally to call on God the creator to intervene on our behalf. The Bishop of Nnewi diocese, His Lordship, Bishop Jonas Benson Okoye has touched us where it will pain us most. He had made a proclamation sacking the Holy Ghost Fathers from our parish. We do not accept this. There should be no segregation in the Lord’s vineyard. May God touch the heart of His Lordship to see the urgent need reverse this decision.
Mr. Nonye Chukwu, the secretary of the committee said: “This prayer procession is our amour and a subtle way to make a statement. The sacking of the Holy Ghost Fathers from St Martin Of Tours Parish ,Odoata, Ihiala is totally unacceptable to our people. We pray our Lord Bishop will see reason to reverse the order.
“All the institutions flourishing today were courtesy of the Holy Ghost Fathers and Holy Rosary Sisters . For over 150 years, they have been with us and placed Ihiala on the world map. Please, Nna anyi Bishop, leave them for us.”
Women, including Lady Agatha Odimegwu, Sabina Izuora, Getrude Ejezie, Oluchi Ikeka, Ijeoma Okolie Ngo Ukatu, Nneka Asoegwu and Dr Uju Oti also joined in the appeal.
Essentially, the people are asking the Bishop to allow peace to reign in Ihiala Catholic Community as it has been the case for the put three centuries.
They want him to reverse his recent postings and sack of the Ghost Fathers’ Congregation of St. Martins Parish, as well as suspend all ongoing construction works in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Convent Premises.
They added: “Since this information reached us, the atmosphere has been tense and the people are shocked and sad, This is so because Holy Ghost Fathers Congregation is lhiala and Ihiala is Holy Ghost Congregation. Therefore anything that affects them, in the same proportion, affects the people of Ihiala.
“He should also withdraw all priests already posted to administer and manage the property and assets of the Rev. Sisters of Immaculate Heart of Mary Congregation, bequeathed to them by the Holy Rosary Sisters in 1970 and initiate a peaceful dialogue with the faithful in Eziani, an outstation in the parish, in order to correct any misgivings”
“We as peace. loving people want peace to reign in Ihiala and other communities alike. For this, we want the Catholic Bishop, Most. Rev Jonas Benson to revert to the “status quo” and allow the Rev. Sisters to live in peace, carry out the avowed Religious lives they chose for themselves without further molestation, and intimidation run their institutions even in partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi on agreed terms. Anything short of this is not acceptable to our people”.
They insisted that members of Ihiala Catholic Community would not fold their arms and watch their assets and what they stand for snatched from them.
However, the Diocese dismissed the development, insisting that there was no protest by anybody in Ihiala.
The Director of Communications of Nnewi Diocese, Rev. Fr. Martin Onwudiwe told Saturday Vanguard that he would not speak on the matter unless he saw pictures of those who embarked on the protest.
MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) has restored power supply to parts of Enugu metropolis, which witnessed darkness.
Some parts of Enugu metropolis, under the Band A tariff regime, during the weekend witnessed three consecutive days of blackout.
The Head, Communications of MainPower, Mr Emeka Ezeh, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Tuesday in Enugu.
According to him, MainPower wishes to inform its esteemed customers that power supply to the Gariki Injection Substation was successfully restored on Monday, July 20, at about 8:30p.m.
“This is following the successful resolution of a major fault involving the indoor 11kV breaker at the station.
“The fault, which occurred on Friday, July 17, affected electricity supply to customers served by the Army and Gariki 11kV feeders.
“Consequently, normal electricity supply has now been restored to all affected areas,” he said.
Ezeh appreciated residents and customers for their patience, understanding and cooperation throughout the outage.
He noted that the company remained committed to delivering safe, reliable, and improved electricity services to its customers and residents of the state.
It would be recalled that MainPower, which is a subsidiary of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), is in-charge of electricity distribution in Enugu State.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Four herders and several cattle were killed on Tuesday when suspected gunmen attacked a cattle camp in Ifite Awka Community, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The incident has sparked concern in Awka, the state capital, as the attackers reportedly invaded the settlement and opened fire on the herders before fleeing the scene.
The attack has also prompted the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to appeal for calm among its members, expressing confidence that the perpetrators would be apprehended and brought to justice.
In a statement, the National Deputy Director-General of MACBAN, Gidado Siddiki, said the four deceased herders were members of the same family.
According to him, the incident occurred at the cattle camp of Alhaji Aminu Mohammed on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
He said, “According to reports, unknown armed assailants invaded the cattle camp while the herders were peacefully engaged in their legitimate cattle-rearing activities.
“The attackers opened fire sporadically, resulting in the deaths of four herders, namely Mohammed Bujumi, Hassan Bujumi, Abubakar Bujumi and Sani Bujumi.
“Several cattle were also killed during the attack, while the assailants reportedly fled with some of the cattle carcasses towards the nearby Mgbakwu Community.”
Siddiki added that another herder, identified as Usman Iliyasu, narrowly escaped the attack.
MACBAN condemned the incident as “heinous and senseless,” calling on security agencies to immediately investigate the attack, apprehend those responsible and prosecute them.
The association also urged the Anambra State Government to take urgent steps to strengthen security and protect the lives and property of residents.
While appreciating the prompt intervention of the Joint Task Force and the state government in recovering the bodies of the victims, Siddiki appealed to MACBAN members to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
“We urge everyone to cooperate fully with the security agencies and allow the government to carry out the necessary investigations and take appropriate action to ensure justice is served,” he said.
Confirming the attack, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said a police-led joint security team responded to the scene following a distress call.
He said the operatives discovered the bodies of four male victims who had suffered fatal injuries.
“Preliminary observations revealed that the victims had their hands tied and sustained multiple injuries, including machete cuts and blunt force trauma. Also, two residential huts within the settlement were set ablaze during the attack,” Ikenga said.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that four dead cows were found within the vicinity, while two other cattle had been slaughtered, with portions of their meat removed.
He added that security operatives recovered sacks containing abandoned chunks of meat a short distance from the scene.
According to Ikenga, preliminary findings indicated that the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, double-barrel guns and machetes.
He said one survivor escaped unharmed and was assisting the police-led joint security team with useful information that could aid the investigation.
The Anambra State Police Command urged members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and timely information that could assist the ongoing investigation.
The Command said further developments would be communicated as the investigation progresses.
A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has offered a fresh account of the circumstances surrounding the death of former Nigerian military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
Amachree claimed that Abacha died of a cardiac arrest during an intimate encounter with a female pharmacist at the Aso Rock Guest House in Abuja.
The revelation was contained in his newly published memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, in which he presented what he described as the true account of Abacha’s controversial death on June 8, 1998.
Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from November 1993 until his death in office, has remained the subject of several conspiracy theories concerning the circumstances of his demise.
According to excerpts of Amachree’s memoir published by The Nation, the former DSS officer, who was then Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos Command, said Abacha died at about 4:05 a.m. while in the company of a female pharmacist at the Presidential Villa.
Amachree said the woman had accompanied her elder sister, whom he described as Abacha’s girlfriend, to the Presidential Villa after the former military ruler reportedly purchased a new SUV for the sister.
He stated that shortly after the intimate encounter, the pharmacist noticed that Abacha had suddenly become motionless and unresponsive.
According to his account, she checked his pulse but could not find one. She then hurriedly dressed and requested transportation back to her hotel.
The former DSS officer said the soldier on duty, unaware of what had happened, arranged a vehicle for her.
He added that after informing her elder sister about Abacha’s condition, the pharmacist was taken to the Abuja airport, where she boarded a 7:00 a.m. Okada Air flight to Lagos.
Amachree further disclosed that Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, was informed of the former Head of State’s condition at about 5:00 a.m. and immediately ordered efforts to locate the woman who had been with him.
However, by the time security operatives arrived at the Hilton Hotel in Abuja, the pharmacist had already left for Lagos.
Amachree said he later received instructions from the DSS headquarters in Abuja to locate and interrogate the woman in Lagos. She was eventually traced to Ogudu and brought to his office for questioning.
He recalled that her first words during the interrogation were: “I did not kill him, he died on top of me.”
The former intelligence officer said he obtained a detailed statement from the woman and subsequently contacted the DSS headquarters, after which she was flown back to Abuja.
Amachree maintained that the pharmacist’s account supports the conclusion that Abacha suffered a cardiac arrest during sexual intercourse.
He said the account also challenges longstanding claims that the former military ruler was poisoned or died after being entertained by foreign women.
According to Amachree, the account contained in his memoir represents what actually happened and should help end decades of speculation surrounding Abacha’s final moments.
General Sani Abacha died on June 8, 1998, after nearly five years in power. His death occurred less than a month before the death of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, widely regarded as the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, who died in detention under the Abacha regime.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The proposed local government elections in Anambra State may face fresh legal hurdles as 56 serving councillors have approached the court seeking an order restraining the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) from conducting the polls.
The councillors, who filed the suit barely one month before the scheduled election, are challenging the planned exercise on the grounds that their tenure of office has not yet expired.
Recall that the Anambra State House of Assembly recently passed an amendment to the state electoral law, limiting the tenure of elected local government chairmen, deputy chairmen and councillors to two years.
In the suit, marked No. A/261/2026, the plaintiffs joined the Attorney-General of Anambra State, the Anambra State House of Assembly and ANSIEC as the first, second and third defendants respectively.
The plaintiffs are seeking, among other reliefs, a declaration that the statutory system of local government guaranteed under Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, requires a secure, stable and reasonable tenure capable of promoting effective grassroots governance.
They are also asking the court to declare Section 110(A) of the Anambra State Electoral (Amendment No. 3) Law, 2024, which limits the tenure of democratically elected local government chairmen, deputy chairmen and ward councillors to two years, inconsistent with Section 7(1) of the Constitution and therefore unconstitutional, null and void.
The plaintiffs further want the court to strike down, invalidate and expunge Section 110(4) of the Anambra State Electoral (Amendment No. 3) Law, 2024, from the state’s statute books on the grounds that it is inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
They are also seeking an order affirming that democratically elected local government officials are entitled to a secure four-year tenure, which they contend is in line with the tenure enjoyed by elected officials at the federal and state levels.
In addition, the councillors are asking the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, privies or anyone acting on their behalf from dissolving, terminating or interfering with the tenure of the elected local government councils at the expiration of two years.
They are equally seeking an order restraining ANSIEC from taking any steps, publishing election timetables or conducting any elections aimed at replacing the current elected local government officials until they complete what the plaintiffs describe as their full four-year tenure.
The suit could potentially affect the planned local government elections in the state, depending on the outcome of the legal challenge.
Residents of Ihuezeofia Village in Enuogu Autonomous Community, Nkerefi, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, have appealed to the state Governor, Barr. Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to urgently intervene in the leadership crisis allegedly rocking the community since June 2025.
The residents, under the aegis of Ihuezeofia Village, made the appeal in a statement signed by the Chairman, Comrade Edeson John Chukwudi; Secretary-General, Prof. Kenneth Ogbodo; and a senior citizen of the village, Elder Elijah Chukwu.
They alleged that the leadership crisis had left the community divided, accusing some individuals of attempting to impose a preferred candidate as President-General (PG) of Enuogu Autonomous Community against the wishes of the people.
According to them, “Enuogu community is being held hostage by some individuals who believe that the community belongs to them and that they will choose whoever they want to be the President-General of the community against the will of the citizens because of their position in government.”
The residents also alleged that Ihuezeofia Village had been marginalised since the creation of Enuogu Autonomous Community, claiming that no government project or meaningful government presence had been established in the village.
They noted that Enuogu Autonomous Community comprises six gazetted villages, adding that five of the six villages had produced a President-General at different times, while Ihuezeofia Village had allegedly been denied its turn.
The group further raised concerns over the absence of a unified constitution for the autonomous community, despite its creation about 20 years ago.
They alleged that the traditional ruler, former Presidents-General and the current Caretaker Committee Chairman, whom they accused of presenting himself as the President-General, were operating under three different constitutions.
The residents said they had earlier petitioned Governor Mbah through DHL on April 7, 2026, with tracking number 4288534084, and that the correspondence was delivered to the Governor’s office on April 9, 2026.
They also said they had written to the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Rural Development, Hon. Charles Egumgbe, through their lawyer, but claimed that they had yet to receive a response from either the Governor or the Commissioner.
The residents said their decision to make their concerns public was borne out of their desire for peace and their belief that using the media would help ensure that their appeal reached the state governor.
They urged Governor Mbah to urgently intervene in the crisis, ensure fairness and justice among the six gazetted villages, and help restore peace and unity in Enuogu Autonomous Community.
They also appealed to the state government to address the alleged marginalisation of Ihuezeofia Village and ensure equitable distribution of government projects and development across the autonomous community.
-
News4 days agoHabila Family Lawyer: Umahi Repeatedly Requested Autopsy, Family Declined; Petitions IGP Over Delay in Releasing Body (Video)
-
News4 days agoMary Habila’s Family Petitions IGP over CP’s Refusal to Release Corpse for Burial
-
Crime4 days agoFake Native Doctor Onyeze Jesus Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison, Seven Fake Pastors Remain in Custody
-
News5 days agoNWOBODO VS OGBUANU: Drama in Enugu High Court as Former Governor Substitutes Legal Team, Halts Proceedings
-
Education4 days agoPaul University Suspends Anglican Priest Over Alleged Sexual Misconduct
-
Crime4 days ago
Enugu Court Convicts Prophet for ₦136.4m Fraud, Orders Forfeiture of Property
-
Crime5 days agoUS House Moves to Withhold All Aid to Nigeria Over Violence Against Christians
-
News4 days agoExplosion at Gariki Substation Throws Parts of Enugu into Darkness