The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has suspended its Bishop of Awka and Metropolitan Archbishop on the Niger in Anambra State, Alexander Ibezim.
The Primate of the church, Henry Ndukuba, introduced the suspension in a letter addressed to the embattled archbishop.
In the letter dated 13 October 2026, Mr Ndukuba, directed Mr Ibezim to proceed on six months’ depart with “immediate effect” whereas investigations into allegations towards him and up to date developments within the diocese start.
The primate additionally barred Mr Ibezim from officiating any actions of the church within the Province of the Niger or the Anglican Diocese of Awka all through the interval of his obligatory depart.
Mr Ndukuba defined that the choice to order Mr Ibezim’s obligatory depart adopted latest developments within the diocese of Awka, the place the archbishop had been on the centre of varied allegations and occasions which, in accordance with the primate, had raised issues concerning the integrity and fame of the church.
The primate reminded Mr Ibezim about numerous administrative panels set as much as probe his actions on the diocese, together with a latest visitation staff led by the dean of the church.
The church chief talked about the staff’s studies on the problems have been submitted and duly thought of.
He defined that the motion was taken pursuant to Section 29(1) of Chapter 5 of the Constitution and Canons of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 2020, which grants the primate basic authority and supervision over the church and its inherent powers.
Mr Ndukuba burdened that the executive measure was meant to permit “a fair and thorough investigation” into the allegations towards him, whereas creating room for the restoration of peace and reconciliation within the Diocese of Awka.
The primate added that the depart didn’t represent a disciplinary sanction, however was an administrative step to facilitate an neutral inquiry into the state of affairs within the diocese.
“We, hereby direct you to proceed on leave with effect from the date of this letter, for a period of six months, in the first instance, or such other reviewed periods we may consider,” he informed the archbishop within the letter obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.
Appointment of a brand new bishop
In the letter, Mr Ndukuba introduced the appointment of the Bishop of the Diocese of Aguata, Samuel Ezeofor,
because the supervising bishop of the church’s Diocese of Awka and coordinating bishop of the Province of the Niger.
He mentioned Mr Ezeofor would “assume and exercise all episcopal responsibilities and oversight” of the Diocese of Awka and the Province Of the Niger in the course of the interval of Mr Ibezim’s absence.
The primate directed the suspended archbishop to handover to the newly appointed supervisory bishop of the diocese.
Mr Ezeofor, the chancellor and registrar of the church, the Provincial Council of the Province of the Niger and the Diocesan Board of the Diocese of Awka have been all copied within the letter.
N2 billion land sale
The letter neither specified the allegations towards Mr Ibezim nor offered particulars of the findings contained within the visitation staff’s report.
However, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that one of many allegations towards the suspended archbishop was that he bought the church’s land for N2 billion with out authorisation from church authorities.
When the allegations first turned public, Echezona Onuigbo, a member of St. Faith Cathedral, an Anglican church throughout the diocese in Awka reportedly petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in July 2025.
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By August of that 12 months, there have been speculations that EFCC operatives have been plotting to arrest the archbishop over the allegations within the petition.
But the Anambra State High Court in Awka stopped the deliberate arrest following an order issued by Justice F.I. Aniukwu.
The order was granted in response to an ex parte movement dated 4 September 2025, filed by the archbishop by his lawyer, B.E.I. Nwofor, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The controversy additionally led to the archbishop dismissing the chancellor of the Diocese of Awka, O.J. Okeke, a retired choose.
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