An Anglican cleric, Rev. Canon Lumenkristi Eboh of Christ Township Church, Umudioka, Anambra State, has been accused of impregnating a lady who was under his spiritual care.
The allegation was levelled against him by Barrister Ben Uzuegbu (SAN), the Deputy Chancellor, Diocese on the Niger, Anglican Communion in Anambra at a press conference held at the Secretariat complex of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra state Council, Awka on Thursday, March 10, 2022.
The accusation came as a reaction to the allegation levelled against the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese on the Niger, Bishop Owen Nwokolo and the Church, over Rev Eboh’s marital fall out and seizure of his landed property by the later.
West African Pilot News earlier reported that Rev. Canon Lumenkristi Eboh tendered his resignation as a priest of the Anglican Communion over marital crisis with his wife in Awka on Monday, March 7, 2022.
He accused the church of taking his legally married wife and accommodating her outside her matrimonial home.
He also accused his diocesan bishop, Owen Nwokolo of witch-hunt and land grabbing, and further said that his refusal to include the Bishop as trustee as demanded and to hand over landed property of the adoration ministry to him set him on a collision course with the bishop.
Speaking on the face-off between the priest and the church, Uzuegbu said no one was preventing Rev. Eboh resignation, noting that he has been on indefinite suspension since December 20, 2021.
He accused the embattled priest of allegedly indulging in immoral acts with women other than his wife and impregnated a lady who approached him for prayers and spiritual healing. This, he said, led his wife to abandon him, contrary to what Eboh had the public believe.
Speaking further during the conference, Barrister Uzuegbu said the cleric also has records of fraudulent activities as well as a lack of accountability while he was in the service as a clergy of the Anglican Church which led to several petitions and complaints against him.
He stated that Eboh refused to appear before a panel set up by the church to look into the complaints and petitions against him aimed at resolving the impasse, despite several invitations and visits to him by members of the panel.
According to him, Eboh chose to go to the press and tender his resignation the day the body submitted its report to the leadership of the church.
Below is his full statement:
RE: ANGLICAN PRIEST RESIGNS, ACCUSES CHURCH OF TAKING HIS WIFE
The above caption which is treading in various newsletters and social media is laughable and unimaginable. Such write-up needs to be ignored but for the sake of the gullible public, we want to put the record straight. First of all, the said Priest – Lumenkristi SYLVESTER Eboh was sent on indefinite suspension on 20th December, 2021 due to his numerous acts contrary to the Scripture and traditions of the Church in accordance to Canon XVI (38) of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). It is on record and verifiable that several petitions were written by well-meaning people including female organizations and lawyers. One of the petitions was written by the Law Zoomers, a firm of Legal Practitioners which claims that he impregnated a lady who was under his custody for prayers. This petition was written on 1st November 2021. Needless to say again, he refused to make himself available to answer to the said petition. You can contact Law Zoomers – Awka for verification and details.
On the claim that the Bishop insisted to be included with his wife as trustees of his Ministry: In the first place, the Constitution of the Diocese is firm on the fact that every priest with any call will conduct same in line with the provisions therein contained. There is no provision in the constitution for a priest to register a parallel ministry whilst serving the Diocese without the official approval from his Bishop. Therefore, these allegations show the extent to which the so-called Lumenkristi goes to deceive the public. You can judge by yourselves – He was living in the church, being paid by the Church, using the church properties and resources, misappropriated funds entrusted to him; discreetly registered a ministry; yet, still claims to be a priest of the Church.
On the claim of high-handedness, harassment, conspiracy and character defamation; it is on record that the Bishop on the Niger is besieged with lots of petitions against Lumenkristi Eboh. All the petitions bother on acts of impropriety and unwholesome conduct not expected of a priest. He was invited to attend to the serious allegations by a panel, which he ignored.
On the claim of taking his wife by the Diocese, this is quite funny and laughable. It shows the extent of his immoral actions that appears to have caused the wife to abandon him. More so, an investigation by the panel shows that he is living with a strange woman who claimed to be his personal secretary and abandoned the wife. One may ask, how can someone who cannot manage his home, claim that the church took her away? Wonders shall never end.
How then can someone with many indicting allegations against him claim to have resigned without clearing his name? Also, how can someone on suspension claim to have resigned? Canon XII (1) of the Church states that “if a clergy desires to resign, he shall send his letter of resignation to the Bishop who shall judge whether the resignation should be accepted or not”.
No one is preventing his resignations, he is free to decide what he wants; notwithstanding, he should stop misinforming the public and kindly own up to his atrocities. Let it be known that he is a wolf in sheep clothing seeking for whom to devour. Let the general public beware of such a person who has betrayed his vows during ordination. May God help him and show him mercy.
Ezinwanne Onwuka, senior staff reporter and columnist with WAP is a Nigerian-based writer and content developer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her interests include reading, writing, researching and graphic designing.
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