A major clash was averted in Enugu yesterday, when a team of policemen drove away pastors and deacons of the Assemblies of God and sealed the Ishiagu Street branch of the church at Uwani area of the state capital where they had gathered to hold a forum.
But for the intervention of the District Superintendent of Enugu South District of the church, Revd David Agu, the pastors numbering over 200, were set to engage the armed policemen whom they alleged did not give any reason for their action.
Speaking to Daily Sun outside the church premises, Agu stated that they had scheduled a forum for pastors and deacons of the various churches in the district before the incident.
“We have over 200 churches with the same number of pastors in the district and we are here to hold our usual forum.
“So, it all means that people came in from all these churches for this meeting. But while I was driving in, I saw some policemen locking the gate. I asked what the matter was, but they refused talking to me.
“I told them if they have any reason to stop our meeting or any paper authorising them to lock the church, we also have the right to know.
“I further queried why they had to lock some people inside the premises but they never talked to me. So, since then, we have been standing outside. I have called the acting General Superintendent, Revd Chidi Okorafor, to ask him, but he said he had no knowledge of that. He tried reaching the commissioner of police, but he was not picking his phone,” he said
Agu stated that no major decision was to be taken at the meeting, adding: “It was not a policy-making forum, it is just a fellowship. Normally, when we have such meeting, I will preach, we will sing and pray for the district and then, if there are announcements, I will make the announcements. We have been having such a forum for deacons and pastors forum.
He condemned the action of the police, insisting that what they did was violently done.
His words: “No explanation, no reason, even when he was told I was the district superintendent, courtesy demands that he should have told me that this person sent us or that there is going to be a breakdown of law and order.
“He did not even tell me why he was locking the gate, he did not tell me we should not have meeting; he did not tell me there was going to be any problem. I even wanted to provoke him by saying that nobody has monopoly of violence that by using violence there could be counter violence.”
When contacted, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, attributed the action of the police to the ongoing leadership crisis in the church.
He told Daily Sun that there was a petition that the meeting would lead to a breakdown of law and order and the police team was told to stop the meeting.
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