Chief Magistrate Emmanuel A. Iyanna of the Wuse Zone 6 Magistrate Court in Abuja has ordered the surety of Obonyilo Enenche Peter, popularly known as ‘Enenche Enenche’, to show cause why he should not forfeit the bail bond or be committed to prison over the defendant’s failure to appear in court.
The ruling came during a resumed hearing on Thursday in the criminal defamation case filed by Dunamis International Gospel Centre's senior pastor, Paul Enenche, against Enenche Enenche and ex-pastor Abraham Daniel.
The court order followed an application by the prosecution counsel, Chima Chukwu. However, defence counsel, Dr. S. M. Oyeghe, objected strongly, arguing that the process violates due legal procedure since the bail had already been revoked and a warrant for the defendant’s arrest was active.
Oyeghe argued that since the court revoked Enenche’s bail on May 28, the burden of securing his presence lies with law enforcement—not the surety. Nevertheless, the court ruled against the objection and ordered the surety to appear.
The hearing has now been adjourned to July 29, 2025, when Pastor Paul Enenche and another complainant, Paul Adama, are expected to testify.
SaharaReporters gathered that the defence had filed petitions to the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, accusing Magistrate Iyanna of bias and close affiliation with the complainant, Pastor Enenche. They also filed for his recusal, which was rejected by the court.
The tension in the case escalated after the March 21 application to revoke Enenche's bail, in which the police accused him of using media platforms to malign the court and disrupt proceedings.
Magistrate Iyanna, while revoking the bail in May, stated, “Any order of court made within its powers must be obeyed. It cannot be treated as inconsequential by any party.”
Despite this, some observers see the latest order summoning the surety as judicial overreach.
“How do you ask for a surety when you have already revoked his bail?” a source familiar with the case asked. “This is beginning to look vindictive—like targeted oppression.”
The case continues to unfold with both legal and public attention drawn to the intersection of faith, law, and perceived power plays in the Nigerian justice system.