Nigerian Pastor, Ex-Wife in Legal Battle Over £1.5 Million UK Properties

Nigerian pastor Francis Irabor and his ex-wife, Auguste Irabor, are entangled in a legal dispute over family assets worth £1.5 million in the United Kingdom following their bitter divorce in 2017. This extensive legal battle also involves the church Mr. Irabor co-founded in Abuja, the Great Calling Ministries Worldwide.

The church, which played a significant role in the couple’s relocation to the UK in 2014, provided loans to facilitate the move and purchase two properties in London. When the Irabors’ marriage ended, it set off a series of legal actions involving the church’s efforts to recover its loans and Ms. Irabor’s attempts to claim her share of the assets.

Court records reveal that Mr. Irabor acquired two houses in London with loans from the church. In May 2023, Family Court Recorder Andrew Willetts ordered Mr. Irabor to pay Ms. Irabor a lump sum of £750,000 and other costs on a clean break basis. Mr. Irabor did not appeal but supported the church’s appeal against the verdict at the Family Division of the High Court, Royal Court of Justice in London.

On April 11, 2024, Judge Jonathan Cohen upheld the family court’s decision, affirming the £750,000 lump sum to Ms. Irabor. Despite Mr. Irabor not being a direct appellant, the High Court criticized him for living comfortably while neglecting financial responsibilities toward his children and their mother.

Genesis of the Legal Battle

The Irabors married in 2008 and have four children. In 2013, Mr. Irabor co-founded the Great Calling Ministries Worldwide. By December 2013, the church had loaned Mr. Irabor a substantial sum to relocate to England due to threats from a militant organization in Nigeria. In July 2014, the church transferred $1.56 million to Mr. Irabor’s account, which he used to purchase a £950,000 house in London.

Following their relocation, the family claimed asylum in the UK. Mr. Irabor later purchased another property for £365,000, partly funded by an additional £220,000 loan from the church. Shortly after, the couple separated and divorced in November 2017.

The church requested a restriction on the Daisy Close house and sued Mr. Irabor in Nigeria for the loan repayment. The church and Mr. Irabor quickly settled, but Ms. Irabor was unaware of these proceedings.

Legal Challenges

In December 2018, Ms. Irabor obtained permission to seek financial remedy proceedings under the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984. The court allowed the church to join as an interested party to determine if it had a beneficial interest in the properties.

While Ms. Irabor sought £750,000 and costs, Mr. Irabor offered £372,000 from the sale of the Goldhawk house. The church sought a final charge over the Daisy Close house.

Preliminary and Family Court Judgements

On March 9, 2022, the court ruled that Mr. Irabor held the legal and beneficial ownership of both properties, making the equity available for distribution. The Daisy Close house was valued at £1.176 million and the Goldhawk House flat at £380,000, with Mr. Irabor’s total debt to the church at £1.274 million.

The family court awarded Ms. Irabor £750,000 considering her debts and living conditions. The court also discharged the interim charging order on Daisy Close and rejected the church’s request for a final charge.

Church Appeals

The church appealed, arguing that the family court over-calculated Ms. Irabor’s debts and failed to secure its loan recovery. The High Court, however, upheld the family court’s decision, reducing some costs but affirming the £750,000 award to Ms. Irabor.

Judge Cohen found the church’s claim of unrecoverable loans untrue, noting the church would receive significant repayment as the properties appreciated. He criticized the coordinated legal efforts of Mr. Irabor and the church, emphasizing that the church would simply wait longer for repayment.