By Victor Nwegede
At first glance, Apostle Barrister Luke Chibueze Adonwe cuts the picture of a multi-hyphenate achiever: a lawyer, farmer, pastor, businessman, activist, and now humanitarian founder. But behind the array of titles is a man whose story reads like a tragic play with a redemptive climax – a descent into betrayal, humiliation and chains, followed by an ascent into purpose, healing, and service.
Yesterday, at the City of Jesus International Ministry in Enugu founded by Chris Orji, the Ebonyi-born lawyer-turned-pastor stood with executives of his Luke Chibueze Adonwe (LACH) Human Foundation to render testimony and thanksgiving. He spoke with the authority of a man who has tasted both ashes and glory.
“I was branded a madman. I was chained in a psychiatric hospital. I lost millions in business. My law firm collapsed. My children were chased out of school. My own friends mocked me,” he said, his voice steady but tinged with memory.
“But God restored me. And He gave me a mission to lift from the dustbin those society has thrown away," the lawyer further hinted.
That mission is today embodied in the LACH Foundation meaning Luke Chibueze Adonwe Human Foundation, a fast-rising humanitarian platform with a mandate that spans legal aid, rehabilitation of the homeless, care for the aged, skill acquisition for youths, and reconciliation for broken families.
The turning point came in 2021. Adonwe, then a practicing lawyer in Abakaliki and businessman managing a multimillion-naira snail export enterprise, found himself in a legal tussle. What began as courtroom exchanges spiraled into a public scene. He was bundled out of the court premises and forcefully admitted into a psychiatric hospital.
He recalled: “They chained my neck and my hands. For days, I was treated like a madman. Pictures of me in that condition circulated on social media. Clients abandoned me. My lawyers fled. Friends said, ‘he is mad."'
Worse still, his business empire collapsed almost overnight. His farm, said to be worth over 21 million Naira in snail stock alone, crumbled as deals with foreign partners evaporated. “I lost everything,” he said.
The humiliation scarred him. He wrote petitions to authorities. He nursed vengeance. But when he encountered the message of forgiveness in church, something broke within him. “I said I could never forgive. But when I lifted my hands that day, I heard myself say, ‘Lord, I forgive them all.’ That was the real beginning of freedom.”
The experience birthed a new vision. “God told me: carry the Bible, carry the constitution - the law, carry compassion and use it to heal others,” Adonwe said.
He established the Luke Chibueze Adonwe Human Foundation (LACH Foundation), headquartered in Ebonyi State. Its mandate is as ambitious as it is humane:
Legal aid for the helpless – handling cases pro bono for widows, indigent families, and victims of injustice.
Rehabilitation of the destitute – rescuing the homeless from the streets and reintegrating them into society.
Skill acquisition and empowerment – training youths and women in trades ranging from tailoring to agriculture.
Care for the aged and vulnerable – with plans to establish an old people’s home and disability centre.
Conflict mediation – stepping into bitter family and communal disputes with reconciliation strategies.
“We are committed to giving dignity back to those written off by society,” he said.
One of the most moving stories to emerge from the foundation’s work is that of Mary Ezaka, a 51-year-old woman found scavenging at the Abakaliki International Market.
“For one year, she never bathed, never ate cooked food, never slept under a roof but she lived on the debris of dustbins," Adonwe revealed.
Moved by her plight, the foundation rented her a self-contained apartment, furnished it, placed her on medical care under the foundation’s volunteer Chief Medical Director and began her rehabilitation journey.
“Mary is proof that no one is beyond redemption,” Adonwe told journalists at the unveiling of the LACH staff training in Abakaliki. “We are determined that no human being should end up in the trash heap of life," he added.
The foundation has also waded into legal battles tearing families apart. One notable case involves two stepbrothers in Abakaliki who dragged each other to court over inheritance disputes stemming from their father’s polygamous household of 16 wives.
“The matter was festering. We stepped in, provided free legal representation, even supported them financially,” Adonwe said. Working with the presiding magistrate and fellow lawyer the foundation brokered reconciliation.
“Our approach is that justice must heal, not destroy. That’s why we offer it without cost,” he explained.
A striking aspect of the foundation’s vision is the plan to end street begging by creating productive centres for the disabled and destitute.
“There will be no beggar on the streets of Nigeria if we succeed,” Adonwe said with conviction.
“If your eyes can see, your hands can move, you can be productive. Even the blind can use technology to create. We will house them, train them, and channel their skills into useful production - from shoes to clothes, even innovations," he maintained.
The foundation has already begun mobilizing trainers and volunteers for its skill acquisition program, linking apprentices with established artisans and businesses.
The transformation in Adonwe’s own life is not lost on him. “In 2021, I begged for one cup of rice. Last year, I shared more than 50 bags of rice to the indigents,” he said with a smile.
His children’s education, once derailed, is now flourishing through divine interventions and scholarships. His first daughter is in her second year of university, studying medical laboratory sciences, while another is pursuing medicine and surgery.
“God restored my family. What I once lacked, I now give freely. That is why I live to lift others,” he said.
The foundation’s influence is already spreading beyond Ebonyi. Volunteers and coordinators from Taraba, Cross River, Anambra and other states are involved. Civil Defence commanders and magistrates have attended its events. Live sessions on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram amplify its activities.
“Our goal is not local – it is national and even global. We want to build a movement of compassion that Nigeria desperately needs," Adonwe said.
Born in Ebonyi State, Adonwe’s journey has traversed law, business, activism and ministry. He is principal partner of Luke C. Adonwe & Partners law firm, director of multiple companies including Ogode Ekwari Farmers Nigeria Ltd, and founder of the Beauty of Love International Ministry.
But his true legacy, he insists, lies in the foundation. “Titles and businesses can collapse. What endures is how many lives you lifted,” he said.
At the thanksgiving service in Enugu, Adonwe was flanked by volunteers, academics, magistrates, and partners. They stood as witnesses to a man once dismissed as insane, now celebrated as an instrument of hope.
“To be humiliated publicly and yet rise again is not by human power,” he told the congregation, stressing that, “It is God who gives beauty for ashes.”
For Adonwe, the scars remain but they have become fuel for his mission. “When I see a homeless man mocked as mad, I remember me. When I see a widow cheated of justice, I remember me. And when I lift them, I know God is lifting me too.”
From shackles in a psychiatric ward to shepherding a humanitarian movement, Apostle Barrister Luke Chibueze Adonwe embodies the paradox of pain turned into purpose. His life story is a living sermon that society’s rejects can become its redeemers.
As Nigeria grapples with poverty, injustice and neglect of the vulnerable, the rise of grassroots-driven humanitarian efforts like the LACH Foundation holds a mirror to what can be achieved when personal tragedy is converted into collective healing.
“God restored me to restore others,” Adonwe said simply.
And perhaps, in that statement lies the clearest expression of why the man once mocked as a mad lawyer is today celebrated as a messenger of mercy.
