Bishop of the Lokoja Diocese in Nigeria, Most Rev. Martin D.A. Olorunmolu, has annulled the diaconate ordination of four men after discovering they were falsely presented by an imposter posing as a religious superior.
The Bishop’s decision follows the exposure of fraudulent claims and forged documents used to deceive the Church.
On July 12, 2024, Bishop Olorunmolu ordained four deacons at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Lokoja, Kogi State. The ordinations were conducted at the behest of one “Rev. Fr. Stephen Obioma Nwaigwe,” who presented himself as the Superior General of the so-called “Paraclete Missionaries.”
However, the Bishop has now revealed that this individual was an impostor who used falsified credentials to secure the ordination.
In an official decree issued on July 29, Bishop Olorunmolu stated, “I was deceived. I was given pieces of false information by the so-called ‘Superior General,’ Fr. Stephen Obioma Nwaigwe. He also gave me falsified documents to make some claims which turned out to be false.” The Bishop detailed how Nwaigwe had used a forged “Decree of Ecclesiastical Approbation” to misrepresent the legitimacy of the “Paraclete Missionaries.”
The fraudulent nature of the ordination was further exposed when one of the candidates, Aloysius Kubiatabasi Ebong, was found posing as a Catholic priest and “celebrating” Masses at a local military barracks. This revelation led to immediate action by the Bishop.
Effective immediately, the Bishop has decreed that the “Diaconate Ordination Certificates” issued to the four men—Aloysius Kubiatabasi Ebong, Francis Mario Daudu, Nkemaka Charles Chukwudi, and Emmanuel Chukwudum Ezeh—are withdrawn. These certificates are to be “not recognized by any Ecclesiastical Authority or any other authorities, including civil ones.”
Additionally, all faculties inherent to their office as deacons have been suspended indefinitely. Bishop Olorunmolu has also indicated that further actions are expected to be taken by the Vatican in response to this grave matter.