The 5 - investigation panel set up by Anglican Diocese of Ukwa West and East, began setting on September 29, 2025, at St James Anglican Church, Obehie, Ukwa West, to determine the extent of culpability of Eze Sunday Nwogu, for allegedly installing a shrine at community market square for worship, immediately after receiving the Anglican honorific title of "Sir" as a Knight.
The panel who is chaired by a Knight, Sir Goddy Okere, a former staff of Eagle Cement, Rumuorlumeni, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, specifically invited for testification, Pastor Divine Eberechukwu Elele, of Christ Embassy, alleged to have destroyed the shrine.
However, Pastor Elele who also is an indigene of the community, was accompanied by some community paramount chiefs and elders, to demonstrate solidarity to his action.
According to Courage Times interview, testifers were unanimous in indicting Eze, Sir Sunday Nwogu, to have originated and authorised the installation of the shrine for community idle worship, having studied the trade earlier.
Pastor Elele was said to have graphically narrated to the panel, how the N5M, being the proceed from the illegal sale of the NDDC-sponsored transformer, was diverted from the purported unveiling of an armoured cable thief, to the installation of a deity without the approval of community elders and chiefs, if indeed, that was a priority in the Autonomous Community.
The Pastor who said he confronted the Eze, Sir Sunday Nwogu in his palace, met the presence of more than 30 native doctors slaughtering and sharing the meat of different kinds of animals.
"When I went to his palace to enquire of the unveiling of the armoured cable thief, animal blood of fowls, goat, dog, sheep, ram, and even tortoise, was seen splattered everywhere, especially at a portion of space close to the palace reception hall.
"Chief Sampson Nwaigwe, a Knight, was sitted by the Eze's lefthand side.The Eze asked me to come back later. I went to market square instead, where I saw a shrine. I was immediately led by my spirit to destroy it", he said.
Pastor Elele also recalled how he equally destroyed a similar installation of a deity in 2018 on his family compound portion of land close to the village square.
"I was attacked by some native doctors on August 10, 2018, where I received a machete cut on my left palm while stopping them from the act. I made entry in Obehie Police station.
"Sir Sampson Nwaigwe that sponsored the Eze, settled that matter, after the late Traditional Prime Minister withdrew from the settlement, owing to the caving down of one of a side of his wall during the first sitting in his house. It was tragedy. We observed it as an omen. His interest to worship idle never began from the recent one at community market square", he revealed. ( police report attached)
The Umuaka Chairman, Council of Chiefs said he was not consulted, adding that the installation was conceived and executed by him and his handpicked cohorts.
A community elder confirmed that the deity was made potent with 21 cannon shots.
The immediate elder brother of the Eze, a Prophet, who also witnessed before the panel, according to Courage Times correspondent, wondered the rectitude behind bestowing his brother with the sacred title of "Knight" while many shrines are conspicuously dotted all over his compound.
He also wondered why the Umuaka Anglican Church catechist, Pastor Udo John and Sir Sampson Nwaigwe that frequently visit the Eze's palace, taking home portions of fleshy meat from the Eze's daily sacrifice, consented to conferring the Eze as a Knight of the Anglican Church of Nigeria. He urged the panel to visit the Eze's compound for verification.
He equally revealed that the ambition of the Eze Nwogu to be bestowed with the honorific title of Knight had long begun, for not the resistance of his elder step brother, an Anglican Venerable, having known his fetish life.
The Prophet also witnessed to the panel, the sight of strange sacrifices often spotted on many road junctions in community, which was not so before the Eze Sunday Nwogu, returned from Orlu, Imo State, with four deity wooden symbols "ofor" and other carved fetish paraphernalia for idle worship.
Another community chief, according to the correspondent, revealed that the Eze allegedly left the community at about the age of 16, to trade on palm produce.
Having failed in the enterprise, began apprenticeship with a native doctor at Okporo Orlu, Imo State.
Upon completing his service, he was said to have been frequenting home, while some of his uncles who are said to be renowned native doctors, aided him in reviving abounded ancient deities like, Amadioha, the god of thunder; Ihuala, the earth goddess; ekwesi orgu, the god of war and visiting the sacred forest of Nchia with fowls, goats, rams and tubers of yam, to woo gods to his house.
It was in that era in 2020 when Owaza, a neighbouring community, allegedly complained to the late Traditional Prime Minister of Umuaka, of a barely one month baby sacrificed at a 4 - road junction between Umuaka and their community. (See attached document)
The Chief also informed the panel how a certain MTN caller, (number withheld), has been threatening his life if he insists on dethroning Eze, Sir Sunday Nwogu, as Umuaka Traditional Ruler.
Courage Times discovered that the ascendancy of the Eze as the Community Traditional Ruler is a subject of adjudication before a High Court, having not participated in the community due process of Eze selection.
One of the panelists, a former Commissioner for Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, OMPADEC, asked if the Town Union was not aware of the installation of the shrine, to which he was informed that the so-called Town Union was handpicked by the Eze, to perpetuate his ambition, just as he handpicked his vigilantes, amongst whom, two have been detained in Obehie Police station for theft.
A villager who does not want his name on print, doubted how a secular community like Umuaka, would prioritise the worship of a deity over rehabilitation of dilapidated Community Town Hall and school buildings, dismissing the defence as "baseless and after thought" - a concocted defence to justify the fraud associated with the proceeds from the illegal sale of the power transformer, revealing that many community youths have been initiated into installing shrines behind their houses.
Another elderly man from the community alleged that the Eze on return from Orlu Imo State, introduced "eating of yam", "iri-ji", in his compound where many kinds of animals are slaughtered for the god of yam, "Ohajoku" - an alien festival to the community, causing many villagers to stay away from his palace except his native doctor colleagues and young initiates who waste gunpowder in multiple cannon shots. Villagers say he has never planted yam in his life, making people believe that the Iri-ji which comes with some esoteric incantations, denotes the service of an unknown god.
He has been alleged to have frittered away about N31m out of the sale of community palm and transformer, while the Community Town Hall, school buildings and market stalls, rot away.
As days and weeks pass by, the community is eagerly awaiting for the decision of Anglican Church of Nigeria.
