Eviction: Activist Demands ₦25m Compensation or Drags Awka Catholic Diocese to Court, Vows to Expose Evils to Vatican

By Tony Okafor, Awka

Human rights activist and social crusader, Osita Obi, has accused the Catholic Diocese of Awka of “sacrilege and deceit” following the forceful eviction of his wife from a shop along Secretariat Road, Awka — an incident he claims left her hospitalized in Enugu.

Obi, who recently relocated with his family from Abuja to Anambra, told reporters that court officials, allegedly acting under the supervision of the Chancellor of the Awka Diocese, Rev. Fr. Charles Ndubuisi, stormed his wife’s shop about three weeks ago and destroyed her goods.

He insisted that no quit notice was served prior to the eviction.

“My wife was branded a kidnapper and humiliated in public. They broke into her shop, destroyed her property, and threw her out like a criminal. She is now in a hospital in Enugu as a result of the trauma. We were never served any notice. The church deceived the court. This is not the act of God but pure wickedness,” Obi alleged.

The aggrieved husband, who said he rented the shop from a private individual, Chidi Osakwe, accused the Diocese of intimidation and vowed to escalate the matter to the Vatican.

He demanded an apology and ₦25 million in compensation, describing the Church’s actions as comparable to “Boko Haram harassment.”

“The Church is supposed to represent God on earth. Instead, they humiliate innocent people. They are not better than Boko Haram. I will continue to expose them until justice is done,” he declared.

Obi further alleged that at one point the Diocese petitioned the police, accusing his wife — a chartered accountant and retired deputy director in the Federal Civil Service — of criminal trespass, aiding kidnapping, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace. He wondered how such allegations could be levelled against her.

In a reaction, the Chancellor of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Dr. Charles Ndubuisi, maintained that it was the court, not the Church, that carried out the eviction.

A court judgment obtained by The RAZOR newspaper shows that on July 10, 2025, Magistrate E.C. Chukwu of the Awka Magisterial District delivered judgment in favour of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, granting it immediate possession of the disputed property at No. 27 Seaman Avenue/Secretariat Road, Awka.

The court held that the Diocese, represented by Rev. Fr. Nicodemus Izuchukwu, had lawfully served the defendants through substituted means after several failed attempts at personal service.

“Bailiff evidence before the court showed that notices — including a quit notice, the owner’s intention to recover possession, and a writ of summons — were pasted on the premises.

“Fr. Izuchukwu also testified that the Diocese required the property for its own use and that the occupants were unknown persons who resisted all informal efforts at eviction.”

Relying on the unchallenged evidence, Magistrate Chukwu ruled that the Diocese was entitled to repossess the property, stating: “It is trite law that unchallenged evidence is deemed admitted. Accordingly, the plaintiff’s claims are hereby granted.”

While the court granted possession to the Diocese, Obi insists that due process was not followed and that his family was victimized in the process.

He vowed never to return to the shop, even if offered free of charge, but maintained that he must be compensated for the alleged destruction and humiliation.

He vowed to petition the Vatican in search of justice.