24 Hours After Shameful Robbery, NBC President Visits Locked Church, Flouts Ongoing Court Case

Barely twenty-four hours after the shocking revelation that hired guards stationed by the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) President turned New Glory Baptist Church into a hideout for looted items, Rev. Dr. Israel Akanji made a dramatic visit to the same premises. Instead of offering accountability or remorse, his actions have raised fresh questions about credibility, leadership, and respect for the rule of law.

Residents of Ojokondo, Agbowo, who witnessed the scandal, were left stunned when Akanji entered the locked premises on Saturday, a move many described as “contempt of court.” The crisis surrounding the forced closure of New Glory Baptist Church has been under legal consideration at the Ibadan High Court since November 2024, yet the NBC President chose to insert himself directly into the scene of shame without any legal mandate.

Even more troubling is the symbolism of the visit. Members and neighbours who have long endured the forced lockdown of the church expected contrition, repentance, or at the very least a call for “reconciliation”. Instead, they saw what looked like a show of solidarity with the crime. By walking into the very place where stolen plasma TVs, fans, and household goods had been stashed by the so-called “guards of the Convention,”

Akanji appeared to validate the desecration rather than distance himself from it.

“This is not leadership, this is a cover-up,” one church member lamented, visibly shaken. “How can a man of God, knowing the shame the guards brought to the name of Christ, walk into this place without first seeking forgiveness from God and the people?”

The irony is glaring. Akanji has repeatedly denied responsibility for locking up the church, claiming he was not behind the closure. Yet his physical presence inside the premises, unlocking and entering without court approval, directly contradicts his own defence. To critics, this was not just a moral failing but a legal breach, a direct affront to both the justice system and the principles of fairness he should uphold as a faith leader.

Worse still, reports indicate that fresh guards with the same questionable background as the previous ones have now been stationed around the premises. To many, this looks less like protection and more like a continuation of intimidation and lawlessness. And sadly, this is not an isolated occurrence. Akanji and his group have become synonymous with scandals, constantly in the media for the wrong reasons, a reality that continues to erode confidence in his leadership.

This episode cuts deeper than one local church crisis; it raises global questions for the Baptist family. What does it mean when the highest leader of the Convention stands accused of contempt of court, of presiding over scandal, and of failing to uphold the sanctity of the very church he is meant to defend? How can Baptists worldwide still speak of moral authority, accountability, and Christlike humility when such leadership errors are allowed to persist unchecked?

For the people of Agbowo, the damage is not abstract. Their place of worship has been reduced to a battlefield of politics, power, and shame. For the Baptist community at large, the time has come to ask: should the President of the Convention be cautioned against misusing power to oppress the armless people of God? What message does this behaviour send to non-Christians who watch from afar? Does it not confirm their worst suspicions that the church is no different from worldly politics?

The Bible is clear on matters such as these. Proverbs 29:2 says: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people mourn.” Isaiah 10:1–2 warns against leaders who “make unjust laws” and “deprive the poor of their rights.” And Jesus Himself declared in Matthew 23:27 that outward religiosity without inner integrity makes leaders nothing more than “whitewashed tombs.”

The credibility of the NBC President now hangs in the balance. Leadership is not about power but about service, not about force but about truth. And history, like Scripture, is clear: “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light” (Luke 8:17).

However, beyond the shame of this single episode lies a haunting question: is this how the NBC President intends to continue the regular jinx of crises that have become the sad story of almost every Baptist church in Nigeria? What memory will he leave behind? What will history say of him, that under his watch, the Convention fostered unity and truth, or that he deepened division and turned sanctuaries into battlegrounds?