By joshua Champions Cathedral Church Marks 20 Years Anniversary, As Founder Recounts Ordeal Of Incarceration In Ebonyi
By Our Correspondent
The founder of the Champions Cathedral Church, Mile 50, Abakaliki Arch Bishop Ndubueze Onyeagoziri Okorie has celebrated the 20th years anniversary of the church establishment and also thanksgiving service in appreciation to God for granting him freedom from incarceration.
Recall that Okorie was previously arrested by the Ebonyi State Police Command following allegations by a young woman, identified as Euphemia Ede, who accused the preacher of subjecting her to years of sexual exploitation under the guise of spiritual healing.
The allegation centred on claims that the bishop promised that engaging in sexual relations with him for seven days would spiritually heal her of sickle cell disease.
Narrating his experience, the bishop said he never imagined that he would be incarcerated, but described the period as an opportunity for spiritual reflection and personal transformation.
He noted that the experience revealed both genuine friends and those who abandoned him when he needed them most, while also exposing him to the workings of the Nigeria justice system and people serving time for both minor and serious offences.
According to him “I never thought in my life that I would be incarcerated, but for a reason. God took me into a secluded place, first of all to have an encounter with Him,” Okorie said.
He revealed that he can’t viewed the experience as a setback, but as a phase that contributed to his personal and spiritual growth.
The bishop, who stressed that he harboured no resentment against anyone involved in his ordeal, said that he had forgiven all those who played different roles in the case.
“This journey has helped my destiny. So why would I be angry if you helped me to become somebody better than I never knew I would become?, even my daughter, Euphemia, that lived with me for 5 years, she was not my enemy. And perhaps she didn’t even know why she was doing what she did. And others that were in it never met me. So I know it’s something that was ordained to happen. If they were not available to be used, other people would have been used. Because God knew that it had been predestined to happen” he said.
He urged Christians facing difficulties to draw closer to God rather than abandon their faith, advising them not to allow their problems to define them.
“whenever you face trial, let your trial bring you closer to God. Let not your trial move you away, that is the time you need to go closer to God” he said.
He also appealed to government and the judiciary to uphold the principle of fair hearing and ensure speedy dispensation of justice, particularly for awaiting-trial inmates who, according to him, sometimes spend years in custody without trial.
He equally urged journalists to ensure balanced reportage by giving accused persons the opportunity to present their side of a story before reaching conclusions.
The bishop also expressed gratitude to his legal team, family, friends and supporters who stood by him during the ordeal, describing his freedom as a testimony of God’s grace.
Preaching at the service, Archbishop Dr. Osmond Rafiu Bakare drew a parallel between Bishop Okorie’s experience and the biblical account of King Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:1–5, urging worshippers to see difficult seasons as moments when God’s intervention can change the course of a person’s life.
The passage recounts how Prophet Isaiah initially delivered a grave message to Hezekiah, telling the king to put his house in order because he would die. Hezekiah, however, turned his face to the wall, prayed and wept before God.
According to Archbishop Bakare, the subsequent response from God demonstrated that a situation that appears hopeless can still be reversed through divine intervention.
He noted that, like Hezekiah, Bishop Okorie passed through a period in which his future appeared uncertain, but emerged from the experience with renewed faith and a testimony of freedom.
The Archbishop urged the congregation not to allow trials to destroy their confidence in God, stressing that difficult circumstances do not necessarily represent the end of a person’s story.
The thanksgiving also commemorated 20 years of Champions Cathedral, which Okorie described as the first indigenous cathedral established by an Ebonyi-born minister in the state. He said the ministry had expanded beyond Ebonyi to other parts of Nigeria and countries including Zambia, the United States and Malaysia.