The Anambra State High Court has refused bail to the General Overseer of Dayspring Assembly, Awada-Obosi, Pastor Harrison Anazodo, holding that no life-threatening medical condition had been established that could not be attended to while he remains in custody.
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Justice Jude Obiora gave the ruling on Tuesday and adjourned the matter to 16 October 2026 for the prosecution to open its case.
The sitting was preceded by disorder at the court premises, in which persons described as members and supporters of the defendant’s congregation attacked journalists and cameramen and damaged their equipment, prompting the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, to enter the courtroom and report the incident to the judge.
Anazodo, an Onitsha-based cleric, was arrested by officials of the Anambra State Government on 10 June 2026 and is standing trial on a seven-count charge.
The charge is brought principally under the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025, and alleges the propagation and promotion of the accumulation of wealth through supernatural means, an offence proscribed by that law.
The seven counts also include murder; abduction; forced marriage and human trafficking of female church members, including a mother and her daughter; and the unlawful separation and isolation of individuals from their families and keeping them confined at his residence.
The prosecution states that the alleged offences were committed continuously between the years 2000 and 2025. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to all seven counts.
At his earlier arraignment he was brought to court in a wheelchair from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka.
Defence counsel, Mr. W. Abonye, applied for bail on grounds of serious ill-health, telling the court that his client had been sick and hospitalised since 13 September, and that he had an illness requiring surgery.
Counsel asked the court to grant the application so that the defendant, who had been on admission at the teaching hospital at Amaku, Awka, could receive proper medical care from his doctors and “remain alive to defend himself.” He undertook on affidavit that the defendant would be produced in court whenever required.
The prosecution was led by the Chief State Counsel in the Anambra State Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Chineze Ononye-Ekwerekwu, who told the court that the State had filed a twenty-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed to by Mr. Uchenna Obiefuna, accompanied by two exhibits.
She informed the court that the defendant had been discharged from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital on 3 October, and tendered the discharge letter in evidence.
She argued that granting bail would pose a flight risk given the serious nature of the charges, and told the court that the State was ready and willing to prosecute, with witnesses prepared to testify.
Justice Obiora refused the application, holding that there was no life-threatening illness that could not be attended to while the defendant remains in custody.
The judge also expressed concern that the defendant might interfere with, or become a threat to, witnesses.
He further noted that the applicant has no confirmed source of livelihood and is not a well-known figure in his village.
The matter was adjourned to 16 October 2026 for the prosecution to open its case.
The disorder occurred as the defendant arrived at the court.
Eyewitnesses said supporters covered him with umbrellas and with their hands to shield him from cameras, and pushed journalists away from the vehicle conveying him as it reversed towards the entrance of the court. Reports put the number of journalists whose mobile telephones were damaged at between two and three, with some camera equipment also damaged.
The supporters were also said to have occupied virtually every available space in the courtroom, leaving little room for journalists and other persons seeking to observe the proceedings.
Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, the Attorney-General condemned the conduct.
“My attention was drawn to the fact that the defendant standing criminal trial, Pastor Harrison Anazodo, came to the court premises with some persons who attacked journalists and damaged their gadgets,” Nweke said.
“I had to enter the courtroom and inform the court of the unfortunate incident, for two reasons: first, the court premises and the courtroom are hallowed places, and secondly, journalists are the eyes and ears of the public and must be respected at all times.”
He said he condemned the conduct, asked the court to take note of it in the proceedings of the case, “and indicated that I would escalate it to law enforcement authorities.”
According to the Attorney-General, counsel to the defendant then apologised to him, to members of the press and to the court, and accepted responsibility for replacing the damaged equipment.
“The court delivered a bench ruling accepting the apology, directed that the gadgets be replaced, and appealed to me to let the matter rest. This is fundamental to the extent that it re-emphasises the freedom of the press to carry out their duties,” he said.
Nweke added that the court further ordered that proceedings in the matter remain public and accessible to the press, and that no journalist should be harassed during subsequent hearings. He said the court warned that any recurrence could lead to the trial being conducted on camera.
The Anambra State Government has presented the arrest and prosecution as part of its broader enforcement of the Homeland Security Law and its campaign against practices it considers harmful to public order and community safety, saying the case reflects its determination to enforce the law irrespective of the status or following of any person accused of violating it.
At the time of the arrest, the State said at least 11 babies were found at the defendant’s residence, and that when he was asked how many women he regarded as his wives he could not state the exact number. He has been described as being married to more than 75 women.
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