From: Madu Ezenoha, Enugu
There was renewed crisis Tuesday as the police prevented a faction
of the Assemblies of God Church from taking over the headquarters of
the Church based on a new court order.
Several members of the Church, especially elderly men and women passed
out and others were wounded after police threw several canisters of tear
gas at them in a bid to prevent them from taking over the national
secretariat of the Church at N0. R8 Ozubulu Street, Independence
Layout Enugu.
The members of the church who fainted were however revived later,
while others scampered to safety, in a renewed battle for the soul of
the Church.
The Church has been in crisis since 2014 with two General
Superintendents holding sway. They are Rev. Prof. Paul Emeka and Rev.
Dr. Chidi Okoroafor.
The members of the church loyal to Rev Emeka who arrived Enugu from
all over the country took off from their New Haven Enugu district
office, but as they got close to the national secretariat, they were
blocked by a contingent of men of the police force, including Special
Anti-Robbery Squad (SAS), Anti-cult unit, and regular anti riot
squad, all numbering more than 200, who threw tear gas on them.
The church members who were in a peaceful procession led by the female members
were singing religious songs with some of them carrying placards with
inscriptions like “Your palace coup is over”, “Okoroafor leave our
secretariat for us”.
A member of the church informed journalists that they had earlier
served the Police and Directorate of State Services (DSS) a court
order permitting them to take over the secretariat and barring Police
from stopping them.
The source equally claimed that they obtained Police permit and that
the Police command promised to provide security to them provided they
conducted themselves in a peaceful manner, which they did.
In a quick reaction when contacted by our reporter, the Police Public
Relations Officer (PPRO) Enugu state police command, Mr. Ebere
Amarizu, a Superintendent of Police (SP), denied that Police were
served any court order and that Police granted them permit.
“If Police were aware, there will be no point for Police going to
disperse them. And again it depends on what they were embarking upon;
they may have conducted themselves in a manner that will cause breach
of peace. Our concern is to ensure security of life and property. If
there is any court order we would have known, may be they are about to
serve us, all the same I will still cross check,” Amarizu stated.
Earlier before proceeding to the national headquarters, the factional
General Superintendent of the Church, Rev. Paul Emeka had informed
thousands of members who gathered at the New Haven Parish of the
Church, from all over the country, that they had obtained an ex-parte
order from the Federal High Court, Enugu Division, restraining
security agencies from inhibiting them from entering the national
headquarters to hold their prayers.
Rev. Emeka alleged that the Rev. Chidi Okoroafor- led faction of the
Church had illegally and forcefully taken over the secretariat with
the assistance of security agencies on March 29, 2017, which prompted
his faction to approach the Federal High Court to obtain the
restraining order.
He appealed to security agencies to go and remove Rev Okoroafor from
the secretariat as he (Emeka) and his group would march to the
secretariat to hold a National Prayer Summit, insisting that they were
not violent and that they do not intend to kill anybody.
Rev. Emeka gave copies of the Court order dated 11th April 2017, to journalists.
The order signed by Justice R. O. Dugbo-Ogboghorie stated, “Leave is
granted to the Applicant to apply for Judicial Review and to act as an
interim order, restraining the Police from stopping, restraining,
preventing or in any manner whatsoever continuing to inhibit, lock out
or exclude the Applicants from accessing the secretariat of the
Assemblies of God Church located at Plot N0.R8 Ozubulu Street,
opposite the office of the Nigerian Customs Independence Layout Enugu
where their offices are located pending the determination of the
substantive application”.
