Tragedy occurred in Awommama, Imo State, on Sunday as a U.S. administrator of Zion Ministry was stoned to death following a heated argument over the ministry’s leadership crisis in the United States, 9News Nigeria reports.
A prolonged leadership dispute within the United States branches of Zion Prayer Movement Outreach has ended in tragedy following the death of one of its administrators during a confrontation in Imo State.
The victim, Chinweike Obiozor, who reportedly served as the ministry’s administrator for the Maryland and Washington, D.C. area, died after he was allegedly struck on the head with a stone during an altercation in Awommama, Oru East Local Government Area.
Obiozor was also said to be a relative of the late Professor George Obiozor, Nigeria’s former ambassador to the United States and former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
The incident occurred after Obiozor and other members of the ministry returned to their hometown following the conclusion of Zion Ministry’s 2026 World Conference at Zion City in Ngor Okpala, Imo State.
The three-day religious gathering, held from August 21 to 23, marked the end of the ministry’s annual 100-day fasting and prayer programme and attracted worshippers from Nigeria and several countries.
However, behind the spiritual gathering was a disagreement that had reportedly been troubling the ministry’s North American operations for some time.
According to an account published by 247Ureports, members of the ministry’s leadership in the United States had been divided by allegations concerning finances, administrative appointments and the management of some branches.
The claims, which have not been independently verified, reportedly created opposing factions among officials and members of the congregation. Attempts to have the ministry’s Spiritual Director, Evangelist Chukwuebuka Anozie Obi, intervene before the conference were said not to have fully resolved the dispute.
Confrontation turns fatal
The disagreement reportedly followed the officials back to Awommama after the conference.
According to the report, Obiozor was confronted by Dr Loveline Nzeakor Bealose, a Maryland-based nurse practitioner who was also identified as an administrator of the ministry’s Washington, D.C. branch.
Bealose was said to have arrived in the company of some women and challenged Obiozor over allegations relating to the management and finances of the ministry’s operations in the United States.
What began as a heated exchange allegedly degenerated into a physical confrontation.
During the altercation, Bealose allegedly picked up a heavy stone and struck Obiozor on the head. He reportedly sustained severe injuries and died before he could receive life-saving medical treatment.
The circumstances surrounding the confrontation, including the roles allegedly played by those present, remain unclear.
Community demands investigation
News of Obiozor’s death has unsettled residents of Awommama and members of Zion Ministry, particularly those in its diaspora branches.
Community leaders and representatives of the deceased’s family have called on the Imo State Police Command to conduct a thorough investigation and establish what happened before and during the fatal confrontation.
They also want everyone found to have participated in the alleged assault brought to justice, irrespective of their position or relationship with the ministry.
As of the time of filing this report, the Imo State Police Command had not publicly released details of any arrest or formally confirmed the account surrounding Obiozor’s death.
Zion Prayer Movement Outreach had also not issued an official statement on the killing or the reported leadership crisis within its United States branches.
