Anglican bishop alleges threat to life as hoodlums attack Anambra church

Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

Anglican Bishop of Mbamili Diocese, Anambra State, Rt. Rev. Henry Okeke, on Wednesday, alleged threat to his life, his priest and that of his members following attack by hoodlums in one of the churches in the diocese.

There were shootings Tuesday night at Cathedral Church of St Michaels, Umuikwu Anam, Anambra West Local Government, Anambra State, by the hoodlums who stormed the area to pull down the ongoing Cathedral building of Diocese of Mbamili.

The bishop said he had sent a Save our Soul message to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar and other law enforcement agents to save his live, that of his family, his priests and those of some church members from the community constantly being threatened by the hoodlums.

Addressing newsmen on Wednesday at Cathedral Church of St Michael Umuikwu Anam, Okeke expressed worry over the hoodlums actions, who he said were acting in ignorance.

He said the church had over the years allowed the community to use its field for football training and other activities, wondering why efforts to extend its developmental projects were being resisted.

He said, “Our problem with the miscreants who are also from Umuikwu Anam started in 2018 when we wanted to build fence of the Cathedral and commenced the construction of the Cathedral building, the miscreants pulled it down twice and prevented us from fencing the Cathedral.

“This is mindbuggling. The land belongs to the church well gazetted with complete documents, we do not understand why these miscreants are preventing us from carrying out our projects.

“The compound housing the Cathedral, also houses Crowther Memorial Collage, Tabitha House Women Skill Acquisition Center School and other buildings including the priests of the Church.”

The cleric who said some youths in the area had vowed not to allow any Anglican Church in Umuikwu Anam, alleged that they had been disrupting all the Cathedral activities.

“On 22 to 25th December 2019, they destroyed many church activities including a crusade by putting off our lights saying that their Masquerade was coming out and we did not disturb them.

“About 10 pm yesterday, we started hearing gun shots resulting from their sporadic shooting while pulling down the ongoing Cathedral building. They were threatening and shouting on top of their voices that anybody including the Bishop that comes out, will be shot dead.

“They have done so many things to threaten lives here but God had been keeping us,” the bishop added.

According to Okeke, the church had met with the former Commissioner of Police for hours over similar destructive activities of the miscreants, adding that it had also written to the Governor and the Assistant Inspector General of Police in Umuahia.

“We do not want to take laws into our hands or resort to self help, in fact the youths of our church are a set I have never met anywhere because of their obedience to the rule of law, if it is in other places, you would have been hearing something else,” he stressed.

Reacting, traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Ben Onyeke said the portion of the land given to the church by the community was not in contention, regretting that the activities of the youths were tarnishing the image of the community.

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