By Frank Ulom
There was palpable tension in the University of Calabar, UNICAL Chapel of Redemption Church on Sunday after operatives of the Cross River State Police Command stormed the premises and ordered an ongoing service to end abruptly over a festering leadership crisis.
Worshippers were thrown into confusion as police took over the church amid palpable tension between two factions laying claim to its leadership.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, DCP Godwin Etim, who led the squad, said intelligence at his disposal indicated that allowing the service to continue could result in violence.
“My duty first as a police officer is to protect lives and property. From what I have seen, if I allow the service to continue, it might lead to bloodshed in this church,” he told the congregation.
When asked why the service was halted, Etim said he had engaged all contending parties before taking action. “I have spoken to the two Reverends, to the two chaplains.
“I had also spoken to the members of the board of trustees, and they all agreed that the service should wind to an end, because of the tension you can see by yourself what has been going on here, so if we don’t apply this strategy now, fight might break out,” he said.
The DCP Operations added that calm has been restored and both factions have been summoned for dialogue.
“We have invited both factions to our office tomorrow by 12 noon to enable us to rub minds with them, and to look at the issues raised and to see if there are solutions we can proffer to it.
“But for now, they have to leave the church so that there won’t be any loss of lives and property and violence of any type,” he stated.
Tension was said to have heightened during the 8 a.m. service when some key church leaders, reportedly restrained by a court order from interfering with the rights of the embattled chaplain, Rev. (Dr) Joseph Ushie, stormed the church.
The leaders, said to be loyal to the interim chaplain, Rev. Israel Eyo, sat close to Ushie, a move Ushie’s supporters allegedly misconstrued as an attempted takeover, throwing the congregation into a rowdy session.
To avert a breakdown of law and order, DCP Etim ordered the shutdown. Neither Rev. (Dr) Ushie nor Rev. Eyo mounted the pulpit; both remained seated among the congregation while Dr Glory Njar led the church in a fervent prayer session until the service was stopped by the police.
Converseer reports that the chaplain of the church, Rev. Ushie had earlier instituted a suit against UNICAL Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Offiong E. Offiong; UNICAL Registrar, Dr Chukwuka Icha; and four others.
In the suit FHC/CA/FHR/87/2026 filed on July 23, the applicant had sought a Motion Ex Parte praying the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to restrain the VC or anyone acting on his behalf from intimidating, threatening and assaulting the applicant while exercising his rights to worship in the UNICAL Chapel of Redemption.
Upon consideration of the affidavit in support of the Motion Ex Parte and submission by the applicant’s Counsel, Ntufam Mba Ukweni SAN, Justice Phoebe Ayua granted an injunction restraining the respondent or any person acting through them from interfering with the chapel premises and activities.
The order of the court which granted an injunction against the respondents urged all parties involved to maintain the status quo “ante bellum” pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application on August 20, 2026.