Primate or Pirate? New questions emerge about the Primate of all Nigeria
May 26, 2023 - What began as a beautiful church service celebrating Baptisms, confirmations, new members to the Mothers Union, and the welcoming of their new Bishop by Christ Anglican Church (Anglican Church in North America, formerly of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)) in Irvington, NJ, ended in chaos and terror as members of the Church of Nigeria, led by Suffragan Bishop of The Anglican Diocese of the Trinity (ADOTT), The Rt. Revd Dr. Augustine Unuigbe stormed the church service shouting racial epitaphs at Christ Anglican Church’s Bishop, The Rt. Revd Ken Ross, Bishop of the Diocese of the Rocky Mountains Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
The sectarian mob physically assaulted church members, including the rector's wife, who was shoved to the ground by Bishop Unuigbe’s body man. Bishop Unuigbealso knocked Bishop Ross's crozier to the ground, breaking it. Ultimately, the police came to end the violent disruption on 4 December 2022. Official complaints have been filed in criminal and civil courts, and the Anglican Church in North America filed formal complaints with the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
The tragic story unfolding in New Jersey began much earlier, though. New developments now raise serious questions about the deliberate nature of the crimes committed by the Church of Nigeria-sponsored Igbo group in New Jersey that has repeatedly attempted to use violence to hijack the ACNA church.
In 2018, The immediate past Archbishop, Metropolitan, and Primate of all Nigeria, Anglican Communion, The Most Rev Nicholas D. Okoh, sent an order to all Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Bishops and subsequently the parishes under their dioceses that all parishes "shall from henceforth be called, identified, and known by names devoid of tribal, racial and ethnic connotations." In obedience to that order, Igbo Anglican Church filed an alternative legal name. It began operating as Christ Anglican Church, officially known in New Jersey as "Igbo Anglican Church, DBA, Christ Anglican Church."
As Christ Anglican Church, the church began to grow and reach out to more than Nigerians in their community. Over time, the church, for many reasons, felt the need to leave the Church of Nigeria. So the vestry called a vote, and the 85 qualified members voted 84-1 to leave the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and join the Anglican Church in North America. It is pertinent to know that Members are defined by Christ Anglican Church and the Anglican Diocese of the West as those who were catechized and confirmed Anglicans who were received into the church, who attend regularly, are not under church discipline or live immoral lives, and who give at least $100 in the previous calendar year. Members, as defined by the ADOTW Customary are those: “who has duly transferred his or her membership to the congregation, who receives Holy Communion on a regular basis in a congregation of this Diocese, whose moral behavior does not contradict Biblical teaching, who fulfills his or her congregation’s requirements for membership and is not otherwise in violation of Diocesan Canons, is a communicant in good standing.” The 15 individuals who protested the vote would not have qualified as members under either membership definition required.
The vote was interrupted by a group of Igbo people claiming to represent the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), who, while not valid members of Christ Anglican Church, protested that the church belonged to The Church of Nigeria no matter what the vote was. The clamorous shouting began, and eventually, violence broke out, with the Igbo group trying everything, including assaulting people in the church, to stop the vote from going forward but to no avail. The vestry called the local police, who had to disperse the mob.
When Christ Anglican Church was eventually received by the Anglican Church in North America formally in September of 2022, a date was set for the new Bishop of Christ Anglican Church to visit on 4 December 2022. However, on 29 November 2022, 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 Supervising Bishop of the Primatial Chaplaincy wrote to Bishop Kenn Ross that his visit to Christ Anglican Church would "ensue in additional protests or, worse, physical confrontations."
Amazingly, the threatening letter was copied to the Primates and Chancellors of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and to the Anglican Church in North America. The attempted bullying of a brother Bishop did not deter Bishop Ross from visiting his new congregation. Still, the threats made by Bishop Kanu were carried out by the Suffragan Bishop of The Anglican Diocese of the Trinity (ADOTT), The Rt. Rev Dr. Augustine Unuigbe, who assured people that he was acting on the direct orders of the The Most Rev'd Henry C. Ndukuba, MA, BD, MA (Ed.), D, Archbishop, Metropolitan & Primate of All Nigeria.
The Rt. Rev Dr. Augustine Unuigbe, when not leading violent sectarian mobs against American Anglican churches, is a medical doctor in New Jersey and a Bishop in CONNAM reporting to The Rt Rev’d Nathan C. O. Kanu. The Primatial Chaplaincy was announced on August 1st, 2022, and the priests and churches selected were placed under the direct oversight of the Primate of All Nigeria, who appointed the The Rt Rev’d Nathan C. O. Kanu, the Bishop of Aba Ngwa North, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), to serve as the Supervisory Bishop of his Primatial Chaplaincy. On one occasion, The Rt Rev’d Nathan C. O. Kanu flew into New Jersey and met with the dissenting group that then incited a riot at Christ ANglican Church the following Sunday.
The repeated attacks on the church in Irvington, New Jersey, by members of the Church of Nigeria have been orchestrated and carried out by Bishops, clergy, and members of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) who report directly to the Nigerian Primate personally. The lack of Biblical leadership and the consistent misrepresentation of facts regarding the crisis at Christ Anglican Church by The Most Rev'd Henry C. Ndukuba, Archbishop, Metropolitan & Primate of All Nigeria in numerous public statements surrounding the case raises serious questions about the Archbishop's effectual leadership of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and even his emotional stability and to what degree he has absolute control over his mental faculties.
In responding to an official complaint by Archbishop Foley Beach, the Anglican Church in North America, in December of 2022, Archbishop Henry stated: "I am most troubled by the seeming escalation of the disturbing but still relatively minor incident inside the church in Irvington characterized by the loud and disruptive but otherwise relatively peaceful and non-violent protest by certain aggrieved church members during meetings, Church worship and events being held in the Church." Numerous videos taken by the mob and streamed live by supporters of the Church of Nigeria showing Christ Anglican Church church members being thrown about, the rector being assaulted, and church property being destroyed by the group belonging to the Church of Nigeria could hardly be what anyone with clear mental faculties could call a "relatively peaceful and non-violent protest."
The tragic events of 4 December and the subsequent and repeated actions of the group sponsored by the Church of Nigeria can only be described as "violent, criminal acts committed by individuals or groups to further ideological goals stemming from a religious, social, and racial nature." There are the same actions that the FBI defines as “Terrorism”. When The Most Rev'd Henry C. Ndukuba, Archbishop, Metropolitan & Primate of All Nigeria, realized that victims in New Jersey had filed criminal complaints against one of his Bishops and members, he encouraged the Anglican Church in North America to drop the charges. Still, The Most Rev'd Henry C. Ndukuba, Archbishop, Metropolitan & Primate of All Nigeria, was dismayed when he was informed that since the Anglican Church in North America did not file the charges, they count not drop them. The Most Rev'd Henry C. Ndukuba, Archbishop, Metropolitan & Primate of All Nigeria, even attempted to discuss dropping charges with Bishop Derek Jones, Bishop of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces & Chaplaincy (formerly with the Church of Nigeria, now with the Anglican Church in North America). Still, the Most Rev'd Henry C. Ndukuba declared that the conversation was "impelled by what Bishop Jones considered to be a personal affront. That ought not to be allowed to destroy decades of working together." To be clear, the "personal affront" that Archbishop Henry refers to was a public death threat against Bishop Jones made online by the body-man of The Rt. Rev Dr. Augustine Unuigbe who has continued to lead the attacks on Christ Anglican Church for months.
The ongoing saga took a dramatic new turn in May 2023 when members of the Church of Nigeria’s Primatial Chaplaincy reporting directly to Archbishop Henry Ndukuba misappropriated the name and seal of Christ Anglican Church's official name and began operating as "Igbo Anglican Church Foundation" in direct violation of the 2018 Primatial directive. The Igbo group incorporated as a separate church body called their own vestry and rector, and tried to con the court by fraudulently claiming in New Jersey Superior Court that they were, in fact, the rightful owners of the building owned by the Christ Anglican Church.
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) group even went so far as to break into a window to access the church building and change the locks to prevent Christ Anglican Church from worshipping in their building. The Igbo group, encouraged no doubt by the continual support they have received from the Primate of All Nigeria, even recorded their own criminal trespassing, breaking and entering, and destruction of property by posting it on social media and have now threatened to physically assault the ACNA priest if he returns to his church.
With the latest developments, many wonder how the Primate of all Nigeria will respond to the continued criminal actions of His Bishops, clergy, and members of the Church of Nigeria under his direct supervision. How effectual is the leadership of his own chaplaincy? How can The Most Rev'd Henry C. Ndukuba lead the largest body of Anglicans in the world when he can't even get 20 of his followers or two of his Bishops to obey? Or worse, if the Primate is personally leading the Primatial Chaplaincy as Bishops Kanu and Unuigbe claim, then the Primate could be seen as the chief architect and co-conspirator of all the crimes that the Igbo group has committed to date, including the theft of the building. The Ministry of Justice in America define organized crime as "any group having some manner of a formalized structure and whose primary objective is to obtain money through illegal activities." In looking at the activities of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) in New Jersey, many questions are now being asked at the state and federal levels.
If Christ Anglican Church can be attacked and stolen, is any ACNA church really safe? Will the Archbishop of All Nigeria continue to endorse the criminal piracy of ACNA parishes, or will he lead like the Primate we hope and pray he is and rebuke the rouge Bishops, priests, and lay members under his direct supervision? Time will tell, but it is clear that the Anglican world is watching.