Press Release On The Position Of The Nigerian Baptist Convention On New Glory Baptist Church – Debunking Rev. DR. Israel Akanji’s Concocted Lies and Distortion Of Facts

RE: PRESS RELEASE ON THE POSITION OF THE NIGERIAN BAPTIST CONVENTION ON NEW GLORY BAPTIST CHURCH (FORMER AJEGUNLE B. C) – DEBUNKING REV. DR ISRAEL AKANJI’S CONCOCTED LIES AND DISTORTION OF FACTS

To all Baptist family members home and abroad, we bring greetings in the most blessed and most glorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, from the entire congregation at New Glory Baptist Church (former Ajegunle Baptist Church), Agbowo, Ibadan.

The press release titled “Position Of The Nigerian Baptist Convention On Ajegunle Baptist Church” from the office of the Convention President, Rev. Dr Israel Akanji on February 24, 2025 would have been completely ignored by the church – because we’re no longer mystified by the notoriety of Dr Akanji when it comes to fabricating odoriferous lies against our church and his treacherous dealings with us since he unleashed his hostility and persecution against the church and our pastors about two years ago. However, we’re persuaded that if the false narratives in his press release are allowed to fester without making any attempt to set the record straight, the image of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) already being dragged in the mud (consequent to Rev. Akanji’s abuse of office and high-handedness) will be further dented and ultimately destroyed.

First and foremost, we make bold to declare that the content of that paper as it relates to New Glory Baptist Church (NGBC), was never the position of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Convention or that of the entire Convention. Instead, Dr Akanji personally and deliberately decided to distort facts and concoct those lies all in the attempt to save his face and exonerate himself from the shame and reproach he has brought upon the Baptist denomination, Christianity in Nigeria and beyond. Thus, we challenge Dr Akanji to tell the whole world when and where the Convention EC or any other committee of the Convention arrived at his claimed position on the situation at NGBC. He will also do well to authenticate his statement and redeem his already-besmirched reputation by providing the minutes of the meeting where the position was taken.

In his press release, Dr Akanji lied to the whole world that the church was locked up by the church members themselves. He went further to state that the matter is already in court and that the position of the NBC is that the church should remain locked until all legal proceedings and resolutions are finalized so as not to turn the house of God into a field of violence and bloodshed.
Meanwhile, Dr Akanji knew, very well, that the case in court has nothing to do with his unlawful locking up of the church, yet, he chose to misinform the public by making that false declaration. Suffice to disclose that the church had already filed a lawsuit in June 2024 at the Oyo State High Court, challenging the illegality of Dr Akanji’s unilateral and/or personal decision to withdraw the NBC fellowship from New Glory Baptist Church and also ‘disrobe’ all the church pastors. How does this correlate with deploring thugs (as orchestrated and executed by Dr Akanji and his foot soldiers on Sunday 17th November, 2024), wielding guns and dangerous weapons, to chase over five hundred members/worshippers away from the church?

It’s on record that Rev. Akanji wrote a letter to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, giving a false account of the situation in our church, crying wolf where there’s none, and cooking up all sorts of untrue and unfounded allegations against our pastor. All these were done in his desperation to get the attention of the Police Commissioner to help him lock up the church (copy of his letter to the Commissioner of Police is hereby attached as evidence). However, when the police tactically and professionally ignored his unlawful, disgraceful and ignoble request, he engaged the services of thugs/hoodlums to achieve his evil agenda.

Rev. Akanji unleashed his fierce persecution and terror against the entire congregation all because he’s hell-bent on destroying just only one person – his fellow pastor. He lied that the church auditorium will be turned to a field of violence and bloodshed just to accomplish his devilish agenda. He ended up denying the entire congregation access into the building, up till today and turned it into a den of smokers and a hub of all sorts of immoralities. What an unprecedented, strange and inconceivable sacrilege, for one man, NBC President for that matter, to carry out such a dastard act against a place of worship and turn it into an object of mockery and ridicule! Till today, Dr Akanji’s hoodlums are still occupying our church premises, although, they’ve confined themselves inside the auditorium for being ashamed to be seen by the residents in the church neighborhood who have labelled them as nuisances. They only sneak in and out ocassionally, usually in the night.

As if all these atrocities committed by a whole President of the NBC are not worrisome and embarrassing enough, Rev. Akanji took his wickedness to another level by preventing our pastors’ daughters from having their wedding services in the church. And again, on Tuesday December 10, 2024, he sent hoodlums, authorizing them with his letter, to forcefully eject our pastors and their families out of the pastorium. At this point, one cannot but wonder that is this the same man, with criminal (fraud) allegation hanging on his neck, that will preside over the forth-coming annual session of the NBC next month? The ball is already in the court of members of the Convention Executive Committee, the decision on what to do with it is up to them.

A further review of Dr Akanji’s claim that the church was locked up by the members themselves cannot but leave one to wonder that for how long will the Convention President continue to bring shame and reproach to the entire denomination with his lies and falsification of naked truth – all in a desperate move to cover up his evil deeds against the church of God. If Dr Akanji is willing and courageous enough to validate his position that church members are the ones committing the atrocities, we demand that he reveals the names and identities of the criminals so that the church can hold them responsible for breaking into the church in the night, stealing valuables, destroying and carting away church documents for over four months now.

It is equally noteworthy that the church had earlier reported this matter to the Executive Committee of the NBC, seeking their intervention to appeal to Dr Akanji’s sense of reasoning and call him to order. Unfortunately, the Convention President intentionally give no room for any deliberation on the matter when some of the EC members wanted to air their views on the ugly situation at NGBC during their recent meeting held between March 11 & 12, 2025. As usual, the President, in his characteristic hypocritical and mythomaniac nature, lied that the matter is in court and can no longer be discussed in the open. Whereas, he knows full well that the church is yet to file any lawsuit against him for deploring hoodlums to lock up the church.

At this juncture, it’s very important to categorically state that Dr Akanji took his falsehoods to an unimaginable, irritating level when he lied to the Commissioner of Police (in that same letter) that he’s the owner of our church and that the church’s name was forcefully changed by the church pastor.
This is a name that was prayerfully and unanimously chosen by the congregation, legally and officially registered with the government and the Convention, and widely known and recognized since 2018. In his acknowledgement letter dated September 18, 2018 written to the people of NGBC, the former Vice President (NBC), Rev. Dr Dickson Madoghwe, attested that the church had gone through the right procedure in effecting the change of name.

As a matter of fact, Rev. Akanji does not necessarily need to recognize the name the church has been answering since 2018. His personal opinion on the decision of the people of NGBC is inconsequential. But for him to pen that the name of the church was forcefully changed is a falsehood that stinks to the highest heaven. And his claim as the owner of the church is a joke taking too far!

In conclusion, we appeal to every well-meaning member of the Baptist denomination to persuade Rev Akanji to retrace his steps and order his thugs to leave our church premises so that members can have access into the auditorium for regular Sunday services and weekly programmes. Enough of his meddling with the church’s internal affairs and trampling on our autonomy as a local Baptist church. Sufficient for him to battle with is the N620 million fraud allegation filed against him (and others) in the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He should go and deal with that and leave our church alone!

Finally, we would like to remind the Convention President that *”if a lie has gone for twenty years, the truth will catch up with it in just one day”.* Rev. Dr Israel Adelani Akanji should also remember that power and position of authority are transient and that *”we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”* Shallom!

*From the Media & Publicity Unit, NGBC, Agbowo, Ibadan on behalf of the entire congregation.*