A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, has ordered the remand of the Bishop in charge of Champions Cathedral Church, Bishop Sam Onyeagoziri, at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre over allegations of unlawful carnal knowledge of a sickle cell patient.
Bishop Onyeagoziri was arraigned on Tuesday on a four-count charge in a suit marked MAB/547C/2025, bordering on unlawful carnal knowledge, threat to life with a gun, exposure of nude pictures on the internet, and emotional as well as psychological abuse of the alleged victim.
During the court proceedings, the defence counsel, Friday Agbom, applied for bail for his client, citing Section 88(2) and Section 92(2) of the Ebonyi State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2019, and Section 36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
However, the prosecuting counsel, Ajibo Catherine, opposed the bail application, arguing that granting the defendant bail could jeopardize the investigation, influence witnesses, and hinder the progress of the case.
In her ruling, Magistrate Happiness Chima declined the bail request and ordered the remand of Bishop Onyeagoziri, noting that the Magistrate Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain such a matter. Consequently, the Bishop could not take his plea.
The Magistrate further directed that the original case file, evidence, and all related documents be transferred to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for further action and prosecution at the High Court. The case was adjourned to November 4, 2025, for a report on compliance and subsequent prosecution at the High Court.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) in Ebonyi State, Oluchi Odeh, led a team of female lawyers who held a watching brief for the complainant during the arraignment.
According to the charge sheet, “That you, Sam Onyeagoziri Ndubueze ‘M’, sometime in the year 2021 at Mile 50 Layout, Abakaliki, in the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have unlawful carnal knowledge of one female (name withheld), having obtained her consent by means of threats and false and fraudulent representation, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria.”
It further reads:
“That you, the defendant, on the same date and place within the magisterial district, did threaten the life of one female (name withheld) with a gun, causing her extreme fear, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 12(1)(a)(b) of the Ebonyi State Internal Security Enforcement and Related Matters Law, 2009.”
“That you, the defendant, on the same date and within the aforementioned magisterial district, did knowingly send pornographic messages by means of a computer system, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 24(2)(I) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.”
“That you, the defendant, on the same date and within the said district, did emotionally and psychologically abuse one female (name withheld) by causing her nude photographs to be circulated on social media, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 20(1) of the Ebonyi State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2018.”
