A High Court of the Federal Capital territory (FCT) in Bwari, Abuja, on Tuesday voided the suspension of Rev. Nicholas Anyanwu, as Superintendent of the Abuja District of the Assemblies of God Church in Nigeria.
Justice O. A. Musa, in a judgment, also declared as unlawful and nullity all processes leading to the suspension of Anyawu by some of the church’s leaders, without affording him the opportunity of fair hearing as guaranteed under Section 36 of the Constitution.
The judgment was on a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/1889/2014, filed by Anyanwu against his suspension by a group of senior members of the church led by Rev. Dr. Chidi Okoroafor (Assistant General Superintendent), who accused him of mismanaging the church’s funds.
The applicant said Okoroafor and some other senior members of the church accused Anyanwu of mismanaging the church’s funds in 2014 and proceeded to set up an investigative panel, which investigated the allegations and found the applicant guilty, a decision he challenged by the suit.
Anyanwu, who faulted the church leaders’ decision to constitute an administrative panel to investigate the criminal allegations raised against him, also accused the panel and the church of denying him the right to fair hearing.