By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
A fresh crisis has emerged in the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria as two pastors – Rev. Okechukwu Obioha and Rev. Isaac Nnaji – are at loggerheads over the control and management of a valuable church property at 35 Nanka Street, New Haven, Enugu.
According to The Nation, the disagreement, which has escalated into an open confrontation and drawn the attention of the police, revolves around who legitimately has authority to oversee the multi-million-naira asset.
Rev. Nnaji, who was recently posted to the New Haven District headquarters where the property is situated, reportedly claims that his new position gives him control over the property.
Meanwhile, Rev. Obioha, managing the property since 2021, insists he remains the lawful custodian, backed by a Power of Attorney issued by the Incorporated Trustees of the church.
The Power of Attorney, signed in August 2021 by former General Superintendent Rev. Ejikeme Ejim, former General Treasurer Rev. Vincent Alaje, and current General Secretary Rev. Godwin Amaowoh, authorised Obioha to “take possession, administer, manage and superintend” the property on behalf of the national church. It also empowered him to collect rents, issue quit notices, and perform all actions necessary for proper management.
The conflict reportedly escalated on October 30, 2025, when Obioha went to collect rent from a tenant. Instead of completing the transaction, he claimed he was confronted by men led by Rev. Nnaji, who warned him not to return.
In a petition titled “Threat to Life and Malicious Damages” to the Commissioner of Police, Obioha said that when he asked why he was being confronted, “they enveloped me for the purpose of assaulting me before passers-by intervened to rescue me.”
He added that the incident caused a traffic jam as residents gathered. His attackers reportedly fled after issuing a chilling warning: “If they ever see me again on the property, it will only be my dead body that will be seen.”
Obioha said the confrontation left him traumatised and accused Nnaji’s group of acting with “impunity,” calling on the police to step in to prevent further violence.
A police source confirmed that the Enugu State Police Command’s Crack Squad has begun investigations. Obioha was interviewed on Monday, while Nnaji was summoned on Tuesday following the Commissioner’s directive.
When contacted, Rev. Nnaji declined to comment, saying, “The case is before the police. I will not talk about it now.”
However, the Assemblies of God Church General Secretary, Rev. Godwin Amaowoh, strongly insisted that Nnaji has no control over the property, describing his actions as part of schemes by “unscrupulous elements” to fuel renewed conflict within the church.
“The property belongs to the Assemblies of God. Okechukwu was given a valid Power of Attorney to represent the church. It is unfortunate that we are still experiencing this kind of internal sabotage despite the Supreme Court judgment of 2017,” Amaowoh said.
He accused Nnaji of “resorting to thuggery in the name of being District Superintendent,” and promised that the national leadership would reclaim all church assets allegedly withheld during previous disputes.