Total Mutiny in Awka: Sacked Chancellor B.E.I. Nwofor Fires Back at Supervising Bishop Ezeofor, Demands Apology as Church Headquarters Cries for Calm Amid Multi-Billion Naira Land Crisis

The bitter power struggle rocking the Anglican Diocese of Awka has taken a dramatic turn, plunging the church deeper into crisis as sacked legal heads clash openly with the highest authorities of the communion.

​Following his removal by the Supervising Bishop of Awka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Samuel Ezeofor—who acted on the directives of the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Dr. Henry Ndukuba—the diocesan Chancellor, Sir B.E.I. Nwofor, SAN, has fired back with a fierce legal challenge. Nwofor has not only rejected his sacking but is demanding a formal retraction and apology, threatening immediate legal action for alleged libel.  

​In a hard-hitting response, Nwofor argued that the "Office of Bowing/Supervising Bishop" is completely unknown to and unrecognized by the Constitution and Regulations of the Diocese of Awka (2023). Describing Bishop Ezeofor's intervention as acting ultra vires (beyond his powers), the Port Harcourt-based Senior Advocate maintained that neither the suspension of Archbishop Alexander Ibezim nor his own removal as Chancellor holds any legal weight under church canon, citing ongoing court litigation and demanding that the letterhead used by Ezeofor be denounced.  

​As the legal gymnastics intensify, the national leadership of the Church of Nigeria has stepped in to douse mounting tensions. In an official statement signed by the General Secretary, Ven. Dr. Festus Opara, the Church called on all clergy, laity, and the general public to remain calm, prayerful, and steadfast while ecclesiastical and judicial processes run their course.  

​The church leadership clarified that the disciplinary measures taken against Archbishop Ibezim—who was suspended for six months following extensive investigations into allegations concerning the unauthorized sale and administration of church properties and land assets—were not arrived at lightly. Emphasizing that canonical order, transparency, and accountability must go hand in hand with Christian reconciliation, the church leadership stressed that “let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).  

​Despite calls from headquarters for restraint and respect for institutional channels, the defiance from Ibezim's camp highlights a deep institutional fracture. Millions of faithful are left watching in absolute shock as a sacred spiritual institution is dragged through secular courts by those entrusted with its stewardship over multi-billion-naira property scandals.