Assemblies Of God Crisis: Court Denies Throwing General Superintendent Out Of Secretariat

There is a twist in the prolonged crisis in the Assemblies of God Church, as the Enugu State High Court has denied throwing Paul Emeka, the embattled general superintendent, out of the national secretariat of the church in Enugu.

The denial was contained in a letter by the Enugu State High Court to the Incorporated Trustees of Assemblies of God Church Nigeria, which DAILY INDEPENDENT obtained.

The letter dated November 28, 2018, was signed by Eze L.N., who is a Deputy Director in the Enugu State High Court.

It read: Re-Appeal No CA/E/10/2015, SC.396/2015 Rev. Paul Emeka Vs. Rev. Dr Chidi Okoroafor and others.

“Your letter above refers.

“Our office did not carry out execution at Plot R8 Ozubulu Street, Independence Layout Enugu, nor throw out Rev. Paul Emeka from the said premises.

“We only served the Supreme Court order on Rev.Paul Emeka as requested by Barrister Maxwell Okpara vide his letter, dated 28th day of March 2017 and attached.”

Emeka was evicted from the secretariat in March 2017 by a faction of the church led by his erstwhile deputy, Dr Chidi Okoroafor.

The eviction was executed by a combined team of soldiers and policemen, who purportedly acted on a Supreme Court judgment, upholding Emeka’s removal as the general superintendent.

But last year, Emeka initiated a fresh suit at the Federal High Court Enugu against Okoroafor and 24 others, alleging that they had deceived the police and the public with a nonexistent Supreme Court judgment, which they relied upon to destabilize the church.

Emeka maintained that what the apex court decided was on his human rights and not his “illegal” removal as a trustee of the Assemblies of God Church, adding that no court of competent jurisdiction had declared that he is not the general superintendent/trustee of Assemblies of God Church.

Meanwhile, an Enugu State High Court has granted an order in favour of Emeka in a suit against 10 legal practitioners, who have been presenting themselves as representatives of the Incorporated Trustees of Assemblies of God Nigeria.

The affected lawyers are Jonas Udensi, Nelson Uche, Donald Chika Denigwe, Anayo Albanus Onyeji, Eleazar Igbokwe, Imma Okochua, Lawrence Elewere, E.A. Ochaten and Ifeanyichukwu Obasi Nweze.

The court presided over by Justice Afam Nwobodo ordered that the said persons who are all defendants in suit number E/113/2019, should be served by substituted service.

The plaintiffs in the suit, Incorporated Trustees of Assemblies of God Nigeria and Rev. Prof. Paul Emeka, are asking the defendants (10 lawyers) to appear in court and show cause why they should be representing Assemblies of God Nigeria in court when Emeka remains the general superintendent