Anita Oyakhilome has finalized her divorce from Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy, according to her lawyers.
Solicitors, Attwaters Jameson Hill, in a statement on her behalf, said the divorce was finalized on February 8 and hinted that she had dropped Oyahkilome from her name for Obhodaghe, while also severing ties with the church.
The statement, published on the United Kingdom-based law firm’s website, read, “We have been requested by Anita Oyakhilome to confirm that on 8th February 2016, a decree absolute was pronounced in the High Court of Justice Principal Registry of the Family Division dissolving her marriage to Christian Onehirokpeana Oyakhilome.
“Anita Oyakhilome would like to confirm that she is no longer involved in or part of Christ Embassy AKA Believers Love World INC.”
The popular pastor has yet to respond to the news or confirm it.
News that Anita had filed for a divorce broke in 2014, after months of rumors suggesting that all was not well with the marriage.
Hope by members of the Christ Embassy congregation that problems in the marriage would be resolved were dashed in the following months as both Anita’s lawyers and Oyakhilome issued statements that suggested the damage to the relationship was irreparable.
Shortly after the news broke, images of Anita, which were very prominent on the church’s website, were removed with her name and image also missing from the church’s devotional, Rhapsody of Realities, which she had co-authored for years with her estranged husband.
Oyakhilome, however, dismissed reports about the messy divorce including those suggesting that adultery was one of the grounds for the divorce, accusing the media of publishing a lot of “stupid things”.
There had been concerns that the divorce would split the church and that Anita might fight for control of the church in London, but based on the statement by her lawyers, that is unlikely to happen.
Anita, a pioneer member of Christ Embassy, got married to Oyakhilome in 1991. They have two daughters.
