Justice Adetujoye Dismisses Oyekan’s Case Against Nigerian Baptist Convention

Justice Adetujoye Dismisses Oyekan’s Case Against Nigerian Baptist Convention

Hon. Justice O. A. Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court has dismissed the suit filed by one Emmanuel Oyewole Oyekan and four others against the Nigerian Baptist Convention and the Convention President, Rev. Dr Israel Adelani Akanji.

The Suit No. I/710/2024 was filed by Rev. Dr E. O. Oyekan, Rev. Dr C. D. Oluwabukola, Deacon I. O. Akanmu, Mrs B. D. Oyewole and Sister Olajoke Akinyemi, for themselves and on behalf of members of Ajegunle Baptist Church (New Glory Chapel, Agbowo, Ibadan) as claimants; against the Registered Trustees of Nigerian Baptist Convention and Rev. Dr Israel Adelani Akanji.

The case was instituted by the claimants at the Ibadan Judicial Division of the Oyo State High Court of Justice sometime in June 2024. The claimants brought the action mainly to challenge the derobing of the 1st claimant, Emmanuel Oyewole Oyekan and nine other pastors of the church and the disfellowshipping of Ajegunle Baptist Church by the Convention through the letter written by the Convention President dated June 10, 2024. The case was heard at Court 11 of the High Court Complex, Ring Road, Ibadan.

While the case was pending in court, members of Ajegunle Baptist Church who had refused to identify with the name “New Glory Baptist Church” and six pastors who are pastors in daughter-churches of Ajegunle Baptist Church wrote to disassociate themselves from the court action of the claimants who are leaders of “New Glory Baptist Church”, a parallel group within the church. Consequently, the decisions over Ajegunle Baptist Church and those six pastors were rescinded by the Convention.

Besides the statement of defence filed by the Convention’s lawyers, the law firm of Chief Adeniyi Akintola, SAN & Co., a preliminary objection was also filed on behalf of the defendants, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case. The main ground for the objection was that the claimants are not known members of the Convention, particularly in view of the fact that New Glory Baptist Church had registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a separate legal entity. It was submitted that the claimants therefore lacked the locus standi to institute the court action.

The claimants responded to the defendants’ preliminary objection and the lawyers on both sides argued for and against the preliminary objection on March 18, 2025. The ruling of the court dismissing the case of the claimants, based on the preliminary objection raised, was delivered on Thursday, 19th of June, 2025.

Thus, all the controversies over Ajegunle Baptist Church have been resolved in favour of the Nigerian Baptist Convention.

Seyon Idowu Koshoedo, Esq.
The Secretary, Board of Trustees of Nigerian Baptist Convention