Human rights activist, Comrade Osita Obi is demanding an apology and twenty-five million naira compensation from the Catholic Diocese of Awka, for illegal eviction of tenants from a property located at No. 27 Seaman Avenue/Secretariat Road, Anambra State.
Speaking in a press conference on Tuesday, Comrade Obi who is also the
Coordinator of the Recover Nigeria Project (RNP), accused the Catholic Diocese of Awka of deceiving the Senior Magistrate Court Grade II Awka to obtain a judgment leading to the eviction on Thursday, 31st July 2025.
The Activist issued a two-week ultimatum to the Catholic Diocese, demanding a public apology and compensation for the unlawful eviction and destruction of property belonging to his wife, Mrs. Beatrice Obi. He warned that failure to comply would compel him to seek legal redress.
Obi while lamenting, strongly condemned Awka diocese’s actions against his wife and five other occupants who where forcibly evicted from their shops without notice or service of court documents, describing it as “wicked and deceptive,”.
Obi further claimed that the Diocese cannot be trusted, especially in light of a petition it filed on June 16, 2022, accusing his wife of being involved in criminal activities of kidnapping, allegations which he dismissed as baseless and defamatory.
He maintained that he is still waiting for police report on that before further actions, insisted that he is not contesting the ownership of the property, but is demanding justice for the manner in which his wife was evicted, without due legal process.
However, Comrade Obi disputed the court’s claim of proper service, stating that his wife was never served with any court notice, hearing summons, or judgment.
“The Catholic Diocese of Awka lied to the court to obtain a judgment. Their actions are unjust and unholy. They forced my wife out of her shop, destroyed her goods, and caused her to be hospitalized,” Obi said.
“The Church is meant to protect and support the people, not inflict suffering. The Catholic Diocese of Awka, through deceit, obtained a purported judgment and executed it in bad faith.” he said .
“They once petitioned the police, falsely alleging that my wife, a chartered accountant who retired from Federal Inland Revenue, was aiding and abetting kidnapping. How can such an institution now claim to act in good faith.
“Even if they obtained legal possession of the property, they were still obligated to serve proper notice and treat the occupants with dignity. Instead, they threw her goods out under the rain. That’s the injustice I’m fighting.”he stated.
“If my wife had been served, she would have appeared in court. Nothing was ever pasted on her shop, no communication, no summons. The claim of service is false.
“The same day they claim the notice was pasted was the same day police, court officials, and bailiffs came to execute the judgment in the company the chancellor of Awka Catholic Diocese Rev. Fr. Celestine Ndubusisi who was in mufti That is not justice,” he argued.
“This is not about property ownership. It’s about how the Catholic Diocese of Awka act with impunity, destroying my wife’s livelihood. She is currently hospitalized in Enugu. I will not back down. I will take this matter to the Vatican if necessary.” Obi declared.
Another co-tenant, Mr. Chijioke Okafor confirming Obi’s clams said he was not aware of any court proceeding or judgement apart from the day they came to broke into their shops and threw out their belongings under rain.
According to Okafor, he was still at home when they started calling him about the incident.
