A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has restrained the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar and five other respondents from evicting the Chaplain of the Chapel of Redemption, the Rev. Joseph Ushie, pending the determination of a substantive suit.
Justice Phoebe Ayua granted the interim injunction in Suit No. FHC/CA/FHR/87/2026 after considering an ex parte application filed by Ushie through his counsel, Mba E. Ukweni (SAN), and V. C. Egboluche.
The respondents are the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Offiong Offiong; the Registrar, Chukwuka Icha; the university; Prof. Paul Ajah; Rev. Timothy Ebere; and the Chairman of the Christian Council of Nigeria, Cross River State Chapter, Most Rev. Offiong Mensah.
According to court documents, Ushie approached the court after he was allegedly evicted from his official residence in breach of the church’s constitution.
He also alleged that the respondents appointed an interim chaplain and a caretaker committee to administer the church council, barred him from the university premises, and assaulted him while exercising his right to freedom of religion and worship at the Chapel of Redemption.
The applicant prayed the court to restrain the respondents from harassing, intimidating or disrupting worship at the chapel and from altering its established structure and practices while preserving the status quo pending the determination of the suit.
In her ruling on Friday, Justice Ayua restrained the respondents, their agents, servants, privies or anyone acting on their behalf from entering, trespassing upon, taking over, locking up or in any way interfering with the premises of the Chapel of Redemption, University of Calabar.
The judge further ordered the respondents not to harass, intimidate or interfere with the applicant’s exercise of his right to worship at the chapel and directed all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
Justice Ayua subsequently adjourned the matter until August 20, 2026, for the hearing of the substantive application.