Why Kogi Catholic Church Annulled Ordination of Four Deacons
Most Rev. Dr. Martin D.A. Olorunmolu, the Catholic Bishop of Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State in North Central Nigeria, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the Diaconate Ordination of four individuals following revelations of gross falsehoods.
The ordinations, which took place on July 12, 2024, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Lokoja, were presided over by Bishop Olorunmolu.
Bishop Olorunmolu, in a statement co-signed by Rev. Fr. Augustine O. Okafor, Chancellor and Notary, said he performed the ordination at the request of one ‘Rev. Fr. Stephen Obioma Nwaigwe’, who presented himself as the Superior General of the “Paraclete Missionaries.”
Although Bishop Olorunmolu stated that all canonical requirements were meticulously adhered to during the ordination process, he later realised he was presented with false documents.
“I was given pieces of false information by the so-called ‘Superior General,’ Fr. Stephen Obioma Nwaigwe. He also gave me falsified documents to make some claims which turned out to be false,” Bishop Olorunmolu said.
Why The Catholic Church Reached The Decision To Annul The Ordination
Narrating the circumstances surrounding the deceit, the Bishop said that one particularly egregious instance involved a forged document. Fr. Nwaigwe allegedly used the “Decree of Ecclesiastical Approbation” of the “Missionaries of Jesus the Saviour” based in Tanzania to create a counterfeit document for the “Paraclete Missionaries.”
The fake decree was presented to the Bishop to falsely claim the legitimacy of the Paraclete Missionaries as a Religious Institute.
The four men who were falsely presented for ordination were Aloysis Kubiatasbasi Ebong, Francis Mario Daudu, Nkemaka Charles Chukwudi, and Emmanuel Chukwudum Ezeh.
The statement also said that Aloysis Kubiatasbasi Ebong had been masquerading as a Catholic Church priest and conducting Masses at a military barracks in Lokoja prior to the ordination.
“In light of the so much falsehood about the said diaconate ordination, I hereby decree that the ‘Diaconate Ordination Certificates’ issued by me to the four men named above are hereby withdrawn with immediate effect. They are not to be recognized by any Ecclesiastical Authority or any other authorities, including civil ones,” declared Bishop Olorunmolu.
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Additionally, the Bishop announced that all faculties inherent in their office as Deacons are suspended with immediate effect and for an indeterminate length of time. He also expressed hope that further actions would be taken by Rome regarding this matter, following his report on the issue.
