Awka Anglican Bishop, Ex-Knight In A Corruption Scandal

A former knight of the Diocese of Awka, Anglican Communion, has resigned after making serious allegations against the Bishop of Awka Diocese, The Most Revd, Dr. Alexander Chibuzor Ibezim. The ex-knight, Izuchukwu Nwabueze, claimed that the bishop had abdicated his primary responsibility of shepherding the flock of Christ and, instead, resorted to partisan politics and prioritising money above God.

Nwabueze further claimed that he quit the knighthood in order to expose what he alleged were the dealings of the bishop, help purge the clergy of bad eggs and sanitise the church. According to him, “I had to resign from the knighthood of the Awka Diocese so that I can be free to expose the rot in the house of God,” he declared.


Things, however, took a new twist for the ex-knight days after renouncing his knighthood when police operatives from the Zone 13 police command, in Anambra state, arrested him for allegedly impersonating a police officer to defraud the public.

An official Zone 13 statement signed by its police public relations officer, ASP Princess Nkiruka Nwode, disclosed that the suspect hid under police identity to organise fund-raising, purportedly for the furnishing of an unknown police residential quarters and installation of a sound-proof generating set for the AIG Zone 13, Ukpo. The statement further disclosed that the suspect also allegedly cornered Sir Chris Okeke and Chief Nwaigwe Daniel, both of G20 Foundation, Awka, collecting a total sum of seven million, three hundred thousand Naira (N7,300,00 from them.

The police further said that Nwabueze also obtained various sums of money, amounting to N1, 885,000, under false pretence, from about seven persons, purportedly on behalf of the bishop.

“The suspect had also approached Mr. Akunwata Chuka Modebe, Esq, to join him in the forum he created to support the creation and activities of the newly created Zone 13 police headquarters and allegedly convinced him to pay the sum of one million naira on the 1st of September, 2020, which he did to his Fidelity Bank account.

“In the same vein, he also approached one Mr. Stanley, the CEO of Brost Global Resources and collected the sum of N500,000 from him to allegedly enlist him in his stakeholders forum; another N370,000 to purchase an IPad for the AIG, and yet another N1,150,000 for the furnishing of the office of the personal assistant to the AIG, and when Stanley requested for the refund of his money, Izuchukwu gave him a Fidelity Bank cheque of N1,150,000 belonging to CHRISKWIK VENTURES LIMITED of 32 ISA WILLIAMS STREET, OKEARIN, LAGOS STATE, which he presented to the bank but was bounced.


“Meanwhile, the suspect has voluntarily confessed to the crime, while investigation is still ongoing, after which suspect will be charged to court.



The AIG Zone 13 Ukpo, DanMalam Mohammed, is using this opportunity to implore members of the public, who may have been defrauded by the said Ichie Izuchukwu Nwabueze, to report to the deputy commissioner of police in charge of Criminal Investigations Department, DCP Echeng Echeng, just as he cautioned the public to be wary of this new trend of criminal activity and report suspicions actions or persons through the zone’s emergency number: 08060463492 or the nearest police station or command for prompt response.”

Orient Weekend gathered from a reliable source that the duo of Nwabueze, a close ally and kinsman of a known Ukpo businessman, and Bishop Ibezim had been in very good terms until recently when the latter appeared to be getting close Anambra state Governor Willie Obiano. The source alleged that Nwabueze urged the archbishop to minimise his closeness with the governor, because of his rift with the businessman but that the cleric refused, leading to a misunderstanding which, ultimately, led to Nwabueze denouncing the knighthood of the Anglican church conferred on him by the archbishop and accusing the cleric of fraud and corruption.

“Being that both archbishop and Nwabueze knew each other very well, the archbishop unearthed the alleged zone 13 fundraising issue, to which he, in fact, also contributed, and which he had, all along known to be a fraud. That was how the two friends started washing their dirty clothes in the public,” the source who pleaded anonymity said.

This paper gathered that the suspect was, on Wednesday, arraigned before a magistrate court in Ukpo, Dunukofia local government area of Anambra state, on charges of obtaining money from members of the public under the guise of being an aid to AIG DanMallam.

At the hearing, the magistrate, M. N. Ibeneme, after listening to the prosecution counsel present their seven-count charge and the defence counsel – who told the court that the issue involving his client was politically motivated and meant to intimidate his client – granted bail to the suspect with a surety of one million naira, three-year tax clearance paper both by a resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

This was, however, contrary to the plea of the prosecution counsel who argued that, given the gravity of the offence, he should be denied bail. The defence countered, saying that Nwabueze was a cabinet member in Ukpo and a Bishop-nominee in Nnewi Diocese who would not jump bail.

The magistrate called on the prosecution counsel to provide the witnesses in the matter for the next adjourned date for further hearing into the matter as he allowed the bail application.

Reacting, the prosecution counsel, Mr C. I. Obi, described the bail ruling as final while his opposing counsel, Mr Jack Iyioku, said the magistrate exercised his discretion judiciously on the bail permission.

Orient Weekend reports that the matter was adjourned to October 23, 2020 for witnesses to appear before the court.

When Orient Weekend sought the reaction of the chief press secretary to the bishop of the Awka Anglican diocese, Dr Emeka Odogwu Emeka, he said he was in a noisy place and would call back. His view was still being awaited as at press time.

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