Assemblies of God Church’s factional leader cries out; Alleges Police brutality, forceful eviction

From; Madu Ezenoha, Enugu

The factional General Superintendent (GS) of the Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria, Rev. Paul Emeka Thursday alleged that he and his members were unlawfully evicted from the national secretariat of the Church at N0. 8 Ozubulu Street, Independence Layout Enugu by the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, Mr. Danmallam Mohammed to pave the way for illegal installation of his opponent, Rev. Chidi Okoroafor.

Emeka alleged that the Commissioner of Police, assisted by some military personnel from the 82 Division of Nigeria Army, Enugu, took laws into his hands when he used tear gas on his members, brutalized them and broke into his office  illegally.

The embattled factional GS noted that the recent Supreme Court judgment which ruled on the crisis rocking the Church, did not dismiss his application, but struck it out based on wrongful service and filing of the matter on the basis of fundamental human rights as against originating summons.

Emeka said he had since re-filed the suit at the High Court, which makes the matter sub-judice.

He further insisted that the Supreme Court ruling did not give consequential order but merely returned the case to status quo, insisting that the Police had no authority to invade his office, manhandle his members and forcefully break in to install his opponent.

“Chidi is now going about that he is there as a result of the Supreme Court judgment; I want the whole world to know that Chidi is not there by the judgment of the Supreme Court; I am still the General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church… what makes a man to be in the secretariat is being the General Superintendent, being in the secretariat does not make you a General Superintendent, you are in the Secretariat because you are the General Superintendent, and we know that where the king is, is where the kingdom is.

“As we know, if the Supreme Court gives judgment and it is executable judgment, after making declarations, the same Supreme Court will give the declaration in the enrolment order stating all the declarations and the things it wants to do, and that person will go to the bailiff, the Supreme Court will give him, and he will come to the state and they will help him if he likes, he takes police, and the Police will come and bring a paper where they will list down all the items of property, and then we sign. But because there were no such declarations and there was no such order, they came and did what they did yesterday.

“The CP said that he had come with one from Supreme Court; Supreme Court does not give judgment twice, after giving and producing enrolment order, which all of us have, then another time it will come again and that one is secret only known to CP, and not shown to us.

He said that Police did not come with any authority or any court bailiff to take inventory before executing the Supreme Court order, if any, which was never served on him.

Reacting through the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent of Police, Ebere Amaraisu, the Commissioner of Police denied evicting nor installing anybody, but noted that they merely accompanied Supreme Court officials and that of the state High Court to perform their functions to avoid break down of law and order,

saying “Police operatives therefore accompanied the court officials for the purposes of security and for them to perform their functions.”