A fresh crisis has broken out in the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria as two pastors – Rev. Okechukwu Obioha and Rev. Isaac Nnaji – clashed over the control and management of a prime church property located at 35 Nanka Street, New Haven, Enugu.
The dispute, which has escalated into open confrontation and a police investigation, centres on who has the legitimate authority to administer the multi-million property.
Rev. Nnaji, recently posted to the New Haven District headquarters where the property is located, reportedly insists that his new position places the asset under his control.
But Rev. Obioha, who has managed the property since 2021, maintains that he remains the lawful custodian based on a Power of Attorney issued to him by the Incorporated Trustees of the church.
The Power of Attorney, signed in August 2021 by the former General Superintendent, Rev. Ejikeme Ejim; former General Treasurer, Rev. Vincent Alaje and the current General Secretary, Rev. Godwin Amaowoh; authorised Obioha to “take possession, administer, manage and superintend” the property on behalf of the national church.
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It further empowered him to collect rents, issue quit notices and carry out all actions necessary for effective management.
Trouble erupted on October 30, 2025 when Obioha visited the premises to collect rent from a tenant.
Instead of completing the routine transaction, he alleged he was ambushed by men led by Rev. Nnaji, who warned him never to return to the property.
In a petition to the Commissioner of Police titled “Threat to Life and Malicious Damages”, Obioha narrated that when he demanded to know why he was being confronted, “they enveloped me for the purpose of assaulting me before passers-by intervened to rescue me.”
He added that the heated commotion caused a traffic jam as residents rushed to the scene.
According to him, his attackers fled after issuing a chilling threat: “If they ever see me again on the property, it will only be my dead body that will be seen.”
The pastor said the episode left him traumatised and accused Nnaji’s group of acting with “impunity,” urging the police to intervene to prevent further violence.
A police source confirmed that the Crack Squad of the Enugu State Police Command has begun investigating the matter.
Obioha was interviewed on Monday while Nnaji was summoned for questioning on Tuesday following the Commissioner’s directive.
Contacted, Rev. Nnaji declined to speak. “The case is before the police. I will not talk about it now,” he said.
But in a sharp rebuttal, the General Secretary of the Assemblies of God Church, Rev. Godwin Amaowoh, insisted that Nnaji had no authority over the property.
He described the district superintendent’s actions as part of ongoing schemes by “unscrupulous elements” to stir renewed crisis in the church.
“The property belongs to the Assemblies of God,” Amaowoh said. “Okechukwu was given a valid Power of Attorney to represent the church. It is unfortunate that we are still experiencing this kind of internal sabotage despite the Supreme Court judgment of 2017.”
He accused Nnaji of “resorting to thuggery in the name of being District Superintendent,” and vowed that the national leadership would reclaim all church assets allegedly withheld during past internal disputes.
