BREAKING: Court nullifies ECWA Kano Central DCC, orders arrest of executives
The Ungogo Division of the Kano State High Court has nullified the inauguration of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Kano Central District Church Council (DCC).
In a landmark ruling delivered today, June 25, 2026, the court also issued a committal warrant for the arrest and remand of the nullified DCC’s executive members over continuous and willful contempt of court.
The affected officials ordered to be remanded include Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Malomo, Rev. Yusuf Sarki, Rev. Ibrahim Auta, Rev. Eli Egoh, Elder Ibrahim Lado and Elder Nuhu Ahmed.
According to the court’s directive, the respondents are to be arrested and remanded in a correctional facility on July 2, 2026, until they purge themselves of the contempt.
Background of the legal battle
The legal tussle began on August 11, 2025, when Kano High Court Vacation Court No. 2, presided over by Hon. Justice Maryam Sabo, issued an interim injunction restraining the ECWA Executive from inaugurating the Kano Central DCC, pending the determination of the motion on notice.
Court bailiffs noted that the respondents actively evaded personal service, allegedly on the instructions of their counsel, forcing the court to serve them via substituted means on August 15, 2025.
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In defiance of the subsisting court order, the ECWA General Secretary, Rev. Asheshe, proceeded to inaugurate the DCC on August 16, 2025. This prompted the Plaintiffs’ Counsel, Bala Nomau Esq., to return to court on August 18, 2025, where the court subsequently set aside the inauguration and barred the newly sworn-in executives from parading themselves.
Defiance and legal rebuffs
Despite the court’s explicit orders, the defendants continued to act in their nullified capacities. On September 10, 2025, counsel to ECWA, Yakubu Bawa Esq., approached the court with an application to set aside the restraining order. However, following fierce arguments from the Plaintiffs’ team, led by B.Y. Gambo Esq., the court dismissed the application and slammed a ₦100,000 cost against Bawa.
Undeterred by the judicial warnings, the respondents continued to flout the order by attending the ECWA General Council meetings at the church’s headquarters in Jos, Plateau State. This repeated defiance forced the plaintiffs to file an application for committal on December 3, 2025, through Usman Ashafa Esq.
The court’s ruling
The committal application was formally argued by B.Y. Gambo Esq. on May 12, 2026, after the court confirmed that the defense counsel, Amos Ango Esq., had been duly served.
Delivering the ruling on Thursday, the presiding judge described the actions of the respondents as clear contempt and a blatant disregard for constituted authority.
By virtue of this ruling, the ECWA Kano Central DCC legally ceases to exist pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Legal analysts monitoring the case have noted that this ruling serves as a stark reminder to organizations and individuals regarding the necessity of respecting judicial orders, emphasizing that the primary duty of legal advisers is to shield clients from risk rather than navigating them into legal jeopardy.
