Sexual Abuse Allegations: Yahweh Group Calls for Thorough Probe

The Congregation of Yahweh, Lagos, has denied allegations of sexual abuse, harassment, maltreatment and other forms of misconduct made against its leadership and members by some former members of the church.

“The congregation in a statement signed by its Chairman, Assembly, Apst. Yehudah Nnedu said the allegations were “false, malicious and unfounded” and that issues raised by the former members should be properly investigated and not decided through social media publications.

The statement came after an interview went viral on YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms in which four former members of the congregation – Diuto Okwuonu, Ugomma Okwuonu, Amara Okwuonu and Susana Okwuonu – along with their mother, Naomi Okwuonu, made allegations against the church, its General Overseer, members of her family and others in the congregation.
The church said it was particularly worried that the allegations were being circulated when a petition involving the parties was still under investigation by the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja.

It does not trivialize allegations of sexual misconduct, particularly where a child is involved, but maintained that the seriousness of an allegation should not be interpreted as proof of guilt, the congregation said.

“The Congregation of Yahweh categorically denies all allegations as false, malicious and unfounded,” the statement said.
Diuto Okwuonu alleged attempted sexual harassment and beating, but the church denied that any of its leadership had ever sexually harassed, made sexual advances toward or beaten her.

It called the allegation “false,” stating that no such incident had previously been reported either within the church or to law enforcement authorities prior to the recent media campaign.

Ugomma Okwuonu had alleged that she and two other sisters were sexually abused and “passed from one brother to another”. The church described the claim as “grievous, incestuous and highly defamatory”.

The congregation insisted that no male member of the church had any sexual relationship with Ugomma, adding that, Brother Emmanuel was betrothed only to Susana Okwuonu.

It also said the story was designed to damage Emmanuel’s marriage, faith and reputation, while arguing its moral standards did not allow or institutionalize sexual misconduct.

The church’s General Overseer maltreated Amara Okwuonu and ended her university education in Ghana after her marriage was annulled the church’s congregation denied the claim.

The decision relating to her scholarship was not punitive, it said, but a collective decision of the family and institution based on available resources, concerns over academic conduct and moral standards, and conditions attached to the institutional support.

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The church also denied allegations about Susana Okwuonu, whom it named as the former wife of Brother Emmanuel.

The congregation alleged Susana left her husband and child for over two years before returning to seek custody.

But the church said the welfare and best interests of the child should always come first.

On the allegation of Mrs Naomi Okwuonu’s employment with Union Bank, the congregation denied instructing her to leave the bank.

It said she disengaged at a time when the bank was undergoing staff rationalization and downsizing, adding that decisions she later took on her employment and pension benefits were personal decisions.

The congregation also accused the former members and their mother of engaging in what they described as ongoing “false commentaries, insults, name-calling and videos” against the church, its General Overseer and her family.

It charged that the activities had sparked tension in the community and said that one of the former members had been observed around the family residence with unidentified persons.

The church said it had reported the matter to the Festac Police Division and preserved the alleged defamatory videos, publications and social media posts for possible legal proceedings.

The congregation of Yahweh also cited years of help to the Okwuonu family.

The assistance allegedly provided to the family included free accommodation, feeding and basic necessities, educational expenses, medical care and other welfare support.

It also alleged the church paid for an all-expenses-paid pilgrimage or trip to Israel for the family’s father.

The congregation said the history of help was being left out of the allegations being spread against it.

It said that members were free to leave the church, but argued that departure should not be the basis for what it called rewriting the history of the relationship between the family and the congregation.

The church said it had briefed its lawyers and was taking steps to protect the reputation and rights of its leaders and members.

It said it would consider taking appropriate civil and criminal legal action against persons responsible for what it called false publications, as well as facilitators, publishers or platforms who continued to pass on unverified allegations.

The congregation also called on all parties to retain recordings, publications, social media posts and other materials connected to the allegations, saying they might become relevant evidence.