Church of Nigeria Bishop leads violent sectarian mob attacking Anglican Church in New Jersey

January 23, 2023 - On Sunday, 4 December 2022, an angry mob led by a Bishop of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). Suffragan Bishop of The Anglican Diocese of the Trinity (ADOTT), The Rt. Rev Dr. Augustine Unuigbe attempted to seize the church illegally.

Christ Anglican Church, a member of the Anglican Church in North America’s (ACNA) Anglican Diocese of the Rocky Mountains, held its inaugural Episcopal service as a new member of the Diocese presided by the Rt. Revd. Ken Ross, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Rocky Mountains. Bishop Ross was leading the joyful worship service when Bishop Augustine Unuigbe, a medical doctor in New Jersey, and a group of 14 Igbo members of the Church of Nigeria forced their way into the church, attempting to seize the church property illegally. Bishop Unigbe stormed the platform yelling, "I have come to take over the church and shut this service down." Some have reported that Bishop Unuigbe and members of his kabal also shouted racist epitaphs at Bishop Ross in English and Igbo and grievously and irreverently accused Bishop Ross of being a homosexual.

In videos circulating on social media, Bishop Unigbe is seen pushing and shoving
church members and, at one point raising his Bishop's staff, striking an elderly Knight trying to stop the service disruption and illegal trespassing.

The video shows the violent mob attempting to move past law enforcement and church officials. The video also shows that, despite multiple requests from law enforcement
officers who were already on the scene, Bishop Unuigbe, and 14 of his followers refused to obey lawful police orders to leave the church.

Eventually, the mob was dispersed, and police forced the trespassers to vacate the premises. Complicating the issue further is that the violent incident appears to be
pre-meditated and orchestrated by another Church of Nigeria Bishop, according to a letter from the Church of Nigeria dated 29 November 2022.

The letter, written by The Rt. Rev'd Nathan C. O. Kanu, Interim Coordinating Bishop,
Church of Nigeria North America Mission (CONNAM) to Bishop Ken Ross of the ACNA
directing him to stay away from Christ Anglican Church, saying: "Whatever the purpose
or intention, we are troubled that the visit may be misconstrued... The optics may then ensue in additional protests or, worse, physical confrontations."

Bishop Kanu is the supervisor of The Right Reverend Dr. Augustine Unuigbe. The letter was also sent to The Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, Primate of All Nigeria. The Church of Nigeria has failed to respond appropriately by removing Bishops Kanu and Unuigbe from leadership. Given Bishop Kanu's assignment is from the Primate of All Nigeria himself, there are serious questions and implications as to just how involved The Rt Rev’d Nathan C. O. Kanu, Bishop, Diocese of Aba Ngwa North, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Interim Coordinating Bishop, Church of Nigeria North America Mission (CONNAM) and The Most Rev'd Henry C. Ndukuba, MA, BD, MA (Ed.), D, Archbishop, Metropolitan & Primate of All Nigeria, are in organizing such criminal activity.

Perhaps only the House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) would be so emboldened for the sake for the Gospel as to inquire further before the pubic witness and integrity of the Church and Gospel are further damaged by this Igbo group.