GROUP REJECTS IMPOSITION OF BISHOP ERIFETA ON CHURCH OF NIGERIA ANGLICAN COMMUNION, SAPELE DIOCESE
A group identified and organized as “Rescue Sapele Diocese Group” or “Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches” has rejected the appointment of Bishop Blessing Erifeta in the Anglican Diocese, Sapele, Delta State, stressing that the decision to forcefully impose him on the members of the Church of Nigeria, has unfortunately reignited an already settled crisis in the Sapele Diocese.
The group, in a letter titled: “Re: Primate’s Directives On Bringing The Crisis In Sapele Diocese To An End,” and addressed to Venerable Adebayo Amos Gbeminiyi, the Director, Justice, Equity and Peace Commission (JEPC), Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, St. Matthias House, Plot 942, Ibrahim Waziri Crescent, CAD Zone BO1, Gudu District, Abuja, accused the leadership of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, noting the attempt to forcefully impose Bishop Blessing Erifeta on members, has polarized the Anglican family due to the punitive, autocratic tendencies and reign of terror which Bishop Erifeta and his collaborators, have meted on members of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, and other churches.
The group in the letter, called on the primate to immediately suspend all coercive directive measures that may escalate rather than resolve the matter and also put the primate and all relevant authorities on notice, that any action taken in disregard of these concerns, which results in violence, loss of life, or destruction of property, shall attract moral, legal, and public accountability.
The letter, which was signed by Mr. Sunday O. Akpobasaha, Cathedral ‘People’s Warden; Evang. Afex Edigbo, All Saints People’s Warden; Mus. Mr. Physon Okposio, Chief Couple Asamaigo, St. Stephen’s Elder, Evang. M. L. Atare, St. Andrews People’s Warden; Chief Wilson Okporus, St. Peter’s Mosogar Elder; Evang. William Oruma St. John’s people’s warden and St. Peter’s Jesse people’s warden, specifically called on the Delta State Governor, His Grace, Most Revd. Henry C. Ndukuba, Archbishop, Metropolitan, and Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion); Senator Ede Dafinone; Chief Bright Abeke, Executive Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area; Chief Monday Ovwigho Igbuya; all security agencies; community leaders; political office holders; and stakeholders, to act swiftly in the interest of public peace and safety, by urging restraint on the part of the primate and Bishop Erifeta to avoid the pursuit of actions capable of leading to the shedding of blood.
The letter reads in part, “We, the members of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), identified and organized an ‘Rescue Sapele Diocese Group’ or ‘Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches”, refer to your letter dated Friday, December 12, 2025, and hereby acknowledge receipt of same.
“First, we observe curiously that your letter under reference was not specifically addressed to any of the organs of the Church, whether of The St. Luke’s Cathedral Church or of the Churches of the Rescue Sapele Diocese Group Special Archdeaconry.
“Having made the above observation, we, the members of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) identified and organized as Rescue Sapele Diocese Group’ or ‘Rescue Supele Diocese Group of Churches,’ write to totally reject the directives contained in your letter under reference, as same is unfortunately aimed at re-igniting an already settled crisis in Sapele Diocese by the attempt to forcefully impose Bishop Blessing Erifeta on members of the Church identified and organized as stated above.
“Your letter under reference has been weaponized by Bishop Blessing Erifeta and those in cohorts with him to begin another reign of terror on members of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke Sapele. Immediately after dispatching your letter on Friday.
“It is important to note that since the constitution of the Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches into a Special Archdeaconry on 25 July 2018 until the date of your letter under reference, Sapele Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has been enjoying peace and order.
“Indeed, Canon Francis Ighosotu Oneshefe has been a priest subject to the leadership of the Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches Special Archdeaconry until your letter of December 12, 2025, appeared to have disrupted the peace and order in our midst.
“ It may interest you to know that from six (6) churches constituted into the Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches Special Archdeaconry on 25 July 2018, the Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches Special Archdeaconry grew in leaps and bounds into thirty-six (36) churches as at 12 December 2025, when your letter was written to us. Regrettably, your letter is now igniting a fresh crisis in the Sapele Diocese.
“We, the members of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) identified and organized as ‘Rescue Sapele Diocese Group’ or ‘Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches constituted into the Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches Special Archdeaconry on 25 July 2018 reject your letter of December 12, 2025, which seeks to compel the Cathedral Church of St. Luke Sapele and the other 35 Churches of the “Rescue Sapele Diocese Group” or “Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches to accept the return of Bishop Blessing Erifeta without due regard to established cases of maladministration, immoral conduct, unresolved grievances and the fragile peace within the Diocese under the leadership of Bishop Blessing Erifeta.
“Our objection is grounded not in defiance of ecclesiastical authority, but in fidelity to the Constitution and Canons of the Church, the principles of natural justice, and the overall need for the preservation of peace, life, and order within the Churches of Sapele Diocese.
“It is on record that copious cases of maladministration, abuse of office, and governance failure have been established against Bishop Blessing Erifeta. The allegations were duly subjected to a transparent, independent, and impartial investigation as required by the Canons of the Church and the principles of fair hearing under the Committee headed by the Most Revd. Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma as Chairman.
“Any attempt to impose Bishop Blessing Erifeta on Sapele Diocese, especially on members of the Church identified and organized as ‘Rescue Sapele Drocese Group or Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches constituted the Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches Special Archdeaconry on 25 July 2018, under the above unresolved circumstances, would constitute a grave violation of canonical order and due process.
“To demonstrate good faith and based on your reference to the retirement of Ven. Clement Oburoh, effective from Friday, 7 November 2025, at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke. Sapele and the other churches identified and organized as ‘Rescue Sapele Diocese Group’ or ‘Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches constituted into the Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches Special Archdeaconry’ have ensured that Ven. Clement Oburoh handed over leadership of the group to the next most senior priest, who is Ven. Benson Otojareri Ovumedia.
“We must state unequivocally that the attempt to forcefully impose Bishop Blessing Erifeta on us, accompanied by threats or coercive directives, as contained in your letter dated December 12, 2025, is capable of escalating the crisis, provoking unrest, and potentially leading to violence and bloodshed, for which the leadership cannot escape culpability.
“The Diocese of Sapele is already under palpable tension since your letter was received, and wisdom demands restraint, dialogue, and justice. Not force. You may recall that during the heat of the crisis, during the 2016 Synod held at St. John’s Church, Amukpe, Bishop Blessing Erifeta used armed soldiers to brutalize some women of the diocese (see photographs) and used hired thugs to dehumanize the Vicar and some members of St. Peter’s Church, Okirigbagha, Sapele. These facts are still fresh in the memory of our members.
“It is in the light of the foregoing that we hereby “formally reject any directive seeking to impose Bishop Blessing Avwenayeri Erifeta on the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Sapele and the other Churches identified and organized as Rescue Sapele Diocese Group’ or ‘Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches constituted into the Rescue Sapele Diocese Group of Churches Special Archdeaconry on 25 July 2018, pending the release and enforcement of the recommendations of the Archbishop Chukwuma Committee Report,” the letter concluded.
