By Nwafor Okafor
The Diocese on the Niger, Anglican Communion, Anambra State has sacked Canon LumenChristi Eboh as a priest in the area.
The Diocesan Director of Communication, Sir Oselloka Offor disclosed this at a press conference at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Awka the Anambra State capital on Thursday.
Canon Eboh had earlier this week resigned as a priest of diocese, accusing the church of taking his wife and sundry allegations
But at the press conference on Thursday, the church described the priest as immoral and as wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The church said, “First of all, the said priest Lumen Christi 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 the 1st of November 2021. Needless to say again that he refused to make himself available to answer to the third petition.
“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 while serving the diocese without official approval from his Bishop.
The church added,” Therefore these allegations show that the so-called Lumen Christi goes to deceive the public. You can judge by yourself. 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 he 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 Lumen Christi Eboh.
“All the petitions bother an act of impropriety and unwholesome conduct not expected of a priest. He was invited to attend to the serious allegation 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.
The Diocese said investigation by the panel showed that he was living with a strange woman who claimed to be his secretary and abandoned his wife.
It further said “One may ask, how can someone who cannot manage his home claim that the church took away his wife? How can someone with many indicting allegations against him claim to have resigned without clearing his name? So 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 which is judge whether the reservation shall be accepted or not”.
“No one is preventing his resignation, he is free to decide what he wants, notwithstanding, he should not misinform 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.
