By Asuquo Cletus
The leadership of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS) has accused a faction within the organization of impersonation and unlawful attempts to take over its corporate structure.
The breakaway group, led by Victoria Clarke and Alex Igwe, had on March 1, 2025, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, announced themselves as the newly constituted Board of Trustees of BCS.
Addressing journalists on Friday during a press briefing at the BCS World Headquarters, Secretary General Bassey Degi disclosed that the certificate purportedly issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to the faction recognizing their trusteeship was obtained under false pretenses. He stated that the CAC has since withdrawn the certificate via a letter dated February 26, 2025.
Degi explained that the faction had previously challenged the appointment of trustees made in 2014, which led to a 2022 court ruling nullifying those appointments. However, BCS filed an appeal along with a motion for stay of execution, and the CAC was formally notified in 2022 to place a caveat on the BCS file pending the outcome of the appeal.
“Despite this, the breakaway group misled the CAC into issuing a new certificate of trusteeship,” Degi said.
The BCS leadership described the group as a small faction that has refused to recognize His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu as the spiritual leader of the Brotherhood since 2001.
“They can break away and form their own organization, but not under the name BCS. They cannot operate independently while pretending to exercise their right to freedom of worship and association under our identity,” Degi said.
He added that the group had earlier attempted to register a new organization named “Brotherhood of the Cross and Star New Kingdom Ministry” in 2018, citing doctrinal differences. According to Degi, the BCS headquarters had no objections to this move but advised the group to remove “BCS” from the name to avoid misleading the public.
“Even though they had broken away earlier, in 2020 they instituted a suit against BCS, challenging the validity of the 2014 trustee appointments,” Degi said. “Judgment was delivered on May 12, 2022, nullifying the appointments. We filed an appeal along with a motion for stay of execution or injunction.
“On June 2, 2022, through our lawyer, Barrister Dafe Diegbe, we wrote to the CAC drawing attention to the appeal and the motion and requested that the BCS file be placed under caveat—specifically that no new trustees should be approved until the appeal is determined. Consequently, the status quo remains.”
Degi also accused the faction of inciting conflict and attempting to take over BCS worship centers by force. He cited an incident on October 20, 2024, when members of the group allegedly broke into the Nsikak Eduok Bethel in Uyo, just three days after a court had ruled against them in a property-related judgment.
“Their illegal and forceful occupation of a few of our worship centers has always been an invitation to crisis, which could have led to destruction of lives and property if our members had not been restrained by the leadership of BCS, in line with the message of peace and love of the Holy Father,” he said.
“One notable case was when the breakaway group, on Sunday, October 20, 2024, forcefully and illegally gained entry into Nsikak Eduok Bethel in Uyo, smashing and destroying sacred spiritual items. They rained threats, abuses, and blasphemy against the leadership of BCS, even after a High Court judgment delivered on October 17, 2024, had ruled against them regarding the property.”
Degi further accused the group of making attempts to seize control of the organization’s resources and mislead the public through press briefings and public statements.
“Their criminal attempt to change BCS trustees, address press conferences, mislead the public, and smear the divine image of BCS and its leadership has generated so much tension that it now constitutes a threat to internal security,” he said. “All of these have reached a boiling point and certainly require the attention of relevant law enforcement agencies.”
The BCS headquarters reaffirmed the current corporate status of the organization, listing His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and leader of the Brotherhood worldwide. It reiterated that the official headquarters remains at 34 Ambo Street, Calabar, and that the Holy City of Biakpan continues to serve as its spiritual center.
The organization called on the public, government institutions, and corporate bodies to disregard the claims of the breakaway group, warning that any continued impersonation poses serious risks to internal peace and national security.
The dispute, which stems from longstanding leadership disagreements within the Brotherhood, remains unresolved, with court proceedings still ongoing. The headquarters urged law enforcement authorities to intervene as tensions continue to rise.
