Bishop remanded for alleged sexual harassment, distribution of pornographic material, abuse of 22-year-old lady
The founder and General Overseer of an Abakaliiki Church, Champions Cathedral, Bishop Onyeagoziri Ndubueze, has been arraigned before an Abakaliki magistrate court for allegedly having carnal knowledge of one 22-year-old girl (name withheld) under false pretence and alleged threat to life.
The Bishop, being the defendant in the case with charge number MAB 547c/2025 with the Commissioner of Police as complainant, was brought before the court on Tuesday.
Ndubueze is facing a four count charge bothering on threats to life, falsehood, fraudulent act and circulation of nude photos of the girl in the social media.
The prosecutor, Catherine Ajibo, told the court that the defendant had sometime in 2021 at Mile 50 Layout Abakaliki did have unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl, having obtained consent of the girl by means of threats, false and fraudulent representation, thereby committed an offence punishable under section 358 of the criminal code Cap 33 Vol.1, Law of Ebonyi state of Nigeria.
The prosecuting council also noted that the Bishop by threatening the girl with gun which caused her extreme fear, committed an offence punishable under section 12(1) (a) (b) of the Ebonyi state Internal Security Enforcement and Related Matters Law 2009.
On sending pornographic messages and circulating nude pictures of the said girl on social media, the prosecuting council further noted that Ndubueze committed offence punishable under section 24 (2) (1) of Cybercrimes (prohibition, prevention, etc) Act 2015 (as amended 2024), and section 20 (1) of Ebonyi State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2018, respectively.
The bail prayer by the defence counsel, Mr, Friday Agbom for the defendant was rejected by the presiding magistrate, Mrs Nkechi Chima, on the ground that the Court lack the jurisdiction to handle the matter.
Chima also ordered the transfer of the original case file, evidences, and all documents in the matter to Department of Public Prosecution for further action.
The defendant was therefore remanded in the correctional centre while the case was adjourned till November 4, 2025.
