Court Dismisses Case Involving Methodist Church in Taraba
By: Abudu Olalekan
A twist unfolded this week in Taraba’s courtroom drama. Property lines blur when belief enters the picture. Tuesday brought a ruling from Upper Area Court 11, tucked inside Jalingo’s judicial sprawl. Weighty moments arrived without warning. A case from the Global Methodist Church of Nigeria vanished – erased by gavel fall. A legal case targeted the United Methodist Church of Nigeria. Ownership of land in Jalingo sparked the conflict.
Out loud, Judge Barkindo Idris Chiloma made his position clear. His ruling wiped the case off the docket. Behind that decision – three key points stood firm. There was no rightful standing to bring the claim. Authority over the matter fell outside this court’s reach. On top of that, using the legal system this way twisted its purpose. What sparked all this? A piece of city land sat at the heart of it. Far beyond the reach of an Area Court’s power. Comes down to where authority stops. Nothing more to untangle.
Still, the judge went further. Costs followed the ruling – sharp, clear. A full million naira. Paid by the plaintiff. Not a small number. That sum? Directed to the defendant. The United Methodist Church received it. Global Methodist Church now bears the loss. This outcome hits hard.
Right away, the United Methodist Church responded. Speaking up, Bishop Emmanuel Ande from the UMCN shared his thoughts. Victory – that was his word. Peace had won, he claimed. “Today’s ruling brings hope,” he stated, “peace can come back to Taraba.” His view? The decision might heal what conflict damaged. Looking ahead feels possible now.
Bishop Ande speaks up, urging talks instead of trials. With hands folded, he invites the GMCN to sit together. Court battles have gone on too long. A new door opens – literally – a place once shut now stands ready. The Jatutu Memorial Cathedral lifts its gates after years of silence. Dust settles differently these days. Inside, light reaches corners that had none. A date lands on the calendar – February twenty-second, two thousand twenty-six. This moment waits for no one. Folks across Taraba feel a quiet pull toward it. One man opens a door where walls once stood.
Yet the Global Methodist Church isn’t backing down. The ruling didn’t sit well – far from it. Reverend John Pena leads GMCN, stepping forward under bright lights at a press event. His message came through clearly: an appeal is already in motion. Beyond just challenging the outcome, deeper answers are expected. A trip to the Court of Appeal now seems certain.
Standing in for Rev. Pena was Bazel Yoila, head of the Conference. Speaking through her, he reached out – not just to local leaders but across levels of authority. His voice pointed straight at the imbalance. Watching it unfold mattered to him. Not tomorrow – now. Though upset about how the GMCN is handled, he reminded everyone to keep cool. Staying within the rules matters most. Violence stays off the table. Only actions that follow the law are allowed. Calm heads make the difference here.
Right there in Jalingo, the court made its call. Not simply over bricks or walls. A deeper split runs beneath. One group says it owns the ground. Another answers back just as loud. Each points to history, to faith, to belonging. What stands is more than stone and wood. Still, the tale keeps going. Soon comes the chance to challenge the outcome. A way to make things right will arrive too. Eyes across Taraba stay fixed on what unfolds. What follows cannot yet be known. That calm the bishop speaks of – that is the aim. Yet reaching it could take quite a while. Still, the courts move slow. Right there, the land owned by the church stays caught. It just sits. Patience wears thin.
