A Sunday church service at the Chapel of Redemption, University of Calabar, UNICAL, was brought to an abrupt end on Sunday after policemen stormed the church premises over fears that the ongoing leadership crisis could lead to violence.
The incident happened during the 8am service at the chapel as members of the church gathered for worship.
According to reports, tension started building after some church leaders, who were reportedly involved in the ongoing dispute, arrived at the chapel and sat close to Rev. Joseph Ushie, the embattled chaplain and at the centre of the crisis.
The development reportedly created tension among members of the congregation, with supporters of Ushie interpreting the presence of the other leaders as an attempt to remove him from the church and take control of the chapel.
The situation eventually attracted the attention of the police, who moved into the church and stopped the service.
The police operation was led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in Cross River State, Godwin Etim.
Explaining the reason for the intervention, the DCP told members of the congregation that the police had to act because allowing the service to continue could result in a physical confrontation.
He said the priority of the police was to protect lives and property, adding that, from what he observed at the church, there was a possibility that the situation could turn violent.
The police officer said he had spoken with the two chaplains involved in the dispute as well as members of the Board of Trustees, and that there was agreement that the service should be brought to an end because of the tension.
Both Rev. Joseph Ushie and Rev. Victor Eyo were reportedly present at the church during the incident.
At some point, a church member identified as Glory Njar reportedly mounted the pulpit and began leading prayers, but the police later stopped the prayer session as well.
The police subsequently directed members of the congregation to leave the church premises in order to prevent any possible clash.
The development is the latest twist in the growing crisis surrounding the leadership of the UNICAL Chapel of Redemption.
The dispute has already reached the courts. A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt recently issued an interim order restraining the Vice-Chancellor of UNICAL and other respondents from interfering with the chapel premises pending the determination of the substantive case.
The court order followed a suit filed by Rev. Joseph Ushie, who challenged actions allegedly taken against him, including his removal from the chapel and restrictions on his access to the university premises.
Rev. Ushie was the former chaplain of Evangel University, Ebonyi before his reputation raised him to UNICAL Chapel a few years ago.
The court ordered the parties to maintain the status quo and restrained the respondents from entering, taking over, locking up or otherwise interfering with the chapel pending further proceedings. The case has been adjourned to August 20, 2026.
However, despite the court proceedings, the disagreement appears to have continued to affect activities at the chapel, with Sunday's incident showing how tense the situation has become.
Following the police intervention, the different sides in the dispute have reportedly been invited for a meeting with the Cross River State Police Command on Monday, August 10.
The police are expected to use the meeting to address the disagreement and prevent the matter from escalating into a confrontation.
For worshippers at the chapel, what should ordinarily be a place of prayer has now become the centre of a prolonged leadership dispute, with the police, the courts and church authorities increasingly becoming involved.
The latest development has also raised fresh concerns among members of the UNICAL community over the need for the dispute to be resolved peacefully so that worship activities at the chapel can continue without fear or confrontation.
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