Primate appoints Bishop Ezeofor to oversee Awka Diocese, Province of the Niger amid investigation

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has directed the Archbishop of the Province of the Niger and Bishop of the Diocese of Awka, Most Rev. Alexander C. Ibezim, to proceed on six months’ leave with immediate effect amid investigations into allegations and recent developments within the diocese.

The Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Henry C. Ndukuba, announced the decision in a letter dated Tuesday, October 13, 2026, while appointing the Bishop of the Diocese of Aguata, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ezeofor, as Supervising Bishop of the Diocese of Awka and Coordinating Bishop of the Province of the Niger during Ibezim’s absence.

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In the letter addressed to Ibezim, Ndukuba said the decision followed developments in the Diocese of Awka that had raised concerns about the integrity and reputation of the Church of Nigeria.

He referenced administrative investigations into the matter, particularly the report of a visitation team led by the Dean of the Church of Nigeria, which had been submitted and considered by the church leadership.

The Primate also cited a meeting with Ibezim on Friday, October 9, during which the visitation team’s report was discussed.

According to the letter, the directive was issued pursuant to Section 29(1) of Chapter V of the Constitution and Canons of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), 2020, which provides for the Primate’s general authority and supervisory powers over the church.

Ndukuba explained that the administrative measure was intended to facilitate a fair and thorough investigation, while creating an opportunity to restore peace and promote reconciliation within the Diocese of Awka.

He stressed that the leave should not be interpreted as a disciplinary sanction but as an administrative arrangement designed to allow an impartial inquiry into the issues affecting the diocese.

The letter stated that the leave would last for an initial period of six months, subject to any revision the church leadership might consider necessary.

During this period, Ezeofor will assume episcopal responsibilities and oversee the affairs of both the Diocese of Awka and the Province of the Niger.

Ibezim was also directed not to officiate at any activities of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Province of the Niger or the Diocese of Awka throughout the period of his leave.

The Primate further instructed the archbishop to make immediate arrangements to hand over his responsibilities to Ezeofor at his office before departing.

Copies of the letter were sent to Ezeofor, the Chancellor and Registrar of the Church of Nigeria, the Provincial Council of the Province of the Niger and the Diocesan Board of the Diocese of Awka.

Background to the controversy

Although the letter did not disclose the specific allegations against Ibezim or provide details of the visitation team’s findings, reports have linked the controversy to allegations that the archbishop sold church lands valued at more than ₦2 billion without authorisation.

The allegation reportedly triggered a legal and ecclesiastical dispute, alongside speculation that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was seeking to arrest the archbishop.

The development followed a petition dated July 28 and submitted to the EFCC’s Enugu Zonal Directorate by Chief G. Tagbo (SAN) of Ike Ike Associates on behalf of Echezona Onuigbo, a member of St. Faith Cathedral, Awka.

However, an arrest was reportedly restrained by the Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka following an order granted by Justice F. I. Aniukwu in response to a motion ex parte dated September 4, 2025. The application was filed by Ibezim through his counsel, B. E. I. Nwofor (SAN).

The controversy also reportedly resulted in the removal of the Chancellor of the Diocese of Awka, Hon. Justice O. J. Okeke (retd.), by the archbishop.

The circumstances surrounding the allegations and the outcome of the church’s ongoing investigation remain unclear, as the Primate’s letter did not disclose the details of the findings or specify the allegations under investigation.

The six-month leave and the appointment of Ezeofor mark a significant administrative development in the leadership of the Diocese of Awka and the Province of the Niger as the church seeks to address the issues and restore stability.

The letter:

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Twelve years after his ministry in Kenya, East African Italian-born Catholic priest Sandro Ferretto has married Sharon Jepng’ok, a Tugen woman from Baringo County.

According to Kenya Times, the couple exchanged vows in a traditional ceremony on 6 September at Seretion Village in Kasiela, a community where Mr Ferretto previously served as parish priest.

The event brought together relatives, local leaders, elders and friends of the bride, who witnessed the Koito ceremony, a significant Kalenjin custom centred on dowry negotiations and family blessings.

Ferretto’s ministry

Mr Ferretto, 55, began his priesthood in Italy before taking his ministry to Kenya, where he spent more than a decade working with local communities.

The Diocese of Padua ordained him as a priest, and he arrived in Kenya in 2008 to begin missionary service. He worked around Kasiela and Mochongoi under the Diocese of Nyahururu and became involved in pastoral outreach, youth programmes and community-based development efforts in Baringo.

He eventually returned to Italy in December 2020 with another missionary, Fr Mariano Dal Ponte.

In 2023, the priest assumed responsibility for a pastoral unit in Saletto, Borgo Veneto, in the Padua diocese. His duties covered eight churches in the area.

His tenure, however, lasted only several months. In December 2023, he celebrated a final Mass before stepping aside from the position to take time for reflection.

The decision reportedly caught some of his colleagues off guard because he gave them little notice.

The Diocese of Padua later acknowledged his withdrawal from pastoral duties, stressing that he continued to serve as a priest and had no connection to any controversy. The diocese described the decision as a requested period away from pastoral ministry.

During his break, Mr Ferretto was reportedly involved in volunteer work with a migrant support group in Padua.

Reunion and law
Mr Ferretto later returned to Kenya and reunited with Ms Jepng’ok, whom he met during his missionary work in Baringo.

Residents of the area widely knew him as “Father Sandro” after he spent more than a decade working with families, youth organisations and church congregations. Baringo is also Ms Jepng’ok’s home region.

Catholic canon law requires Latin Rite priests to observe celibacy and bars them from marrying while they remain in active ministry. The Church considers the commitment a lifelong obligation of the priesthood.

For a priest to marry, he must first be formally removed from the clerical state through a process approved by the Vatican. Known as laicisation, the process ends his status as a priest and normally includes a dispensation from the obligation of celibacy.

Only after receiving the necessary approval can a former priest marry. Without it, the marriage would contravene Catholic canon law and would not be recognised by the Church.

Pastor Titilayo Adewale, the daughter of the late Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has firmly denied viral media reports claiming she criticized the church’s leadership or demanded public monuments to preserve her father’s legacy.

The viral post claimed Adewale criticised senior RCCG pastors for allegedly sidelining her late father’s legacy

Adewale described the claims as false and urged those circulating them to stop spreading misinformation.

She debunked the circulating stories and clarified her stance in a statement shared on Facebook page on Monday.

She said the statement attributed to her did not originate from her “either implicitly or explicitly,” stressing that her father’s greatest legacy was not tied to buildings or monuments but the lives he transformed.

“For the record, Baba’s image or lack thereof on any edifice on earth is nothing compared to making Heaven and his face being recognized there,” she wrote.

She explained that her father never encouraged the pursuit of material possessions or earthly recognition, recalling that he was reluctant even to own a personal residence because he did not place value on material acquisitions.

“My father consistently believed in building people rather than merely constructing buildings.

“He never believed in acquiring wealth or earthly possessions,” she said, adding that it would be inconsistent to suggest that he desired his name or image to be prominently associated with buildings or institutions.

According to her, the reports were aimed at creating unnecessary controversy and division within the church rather than promoting the memory of its founder.

“In my opinion, this report and similar ones are not about me, my father, or even the leadership of the RCCG. Instead, they are intended to create unnecessary arguments and division.

“Their purpose is to divert attention from the divine work currently being carried out and sow discord among us,” she stated.

She warned those responsible for circulating the reports to desist from what she described as “mischievous acts of misinformation.

Adewale also reaffirmed her support for the leadership of the church, praying for continued wisdom and strength for the General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and his family.