Court dismisses Enugu Assemblies of God property suit

A high court in Enugu State presided over by Justice R. Odugu has struck out a suit seeking the nullification of a power of attorney issued to Rev. Okechukwu Obioha by the Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria, over its property in the state.

The power of attorney was granted to enable Obioha to superintend and manage the church’s property at No. 35 Nanka Street in New Haven, Enugu State.

However, a segment of the church loyal to Rev. Prof. Paul Emeka as its General Superintendent had dragged him to court, seeking the nullification of the power of attorney and demanding N100 million in damages.

Justice Odugu, however, struck out the suit, describing it as an abuse of the court process, stressing that a subsisting matter already pending before another court in suit no. E/642/2021 had been filed by the present defendants against the plaintiff.

He stated that the court had tagged the plaintiff as a trespasser over their property at No. 35 Nanka Street, New Haven, Enugu.

The judge reiterated that “it is the same power of attorney issued to Rev. Okechukwu Christopher Obioha that is the spinal cord used in the institution of the action, and therefore the plaintiff cannot use the back door in urging me to nullify the same.”

The court, therefore, resisted the temptation of being drawn into the arena of nullifying the power of attorney, stating that doing so would be gravely prejudicial.