Police invade Assemblies of God Church with armoured tank, disperse members

A detachment of policemen from Enugu State command on Sunday invaded Assemblies of God Church at No 27, Mount Street, Agbani Road, Enugu, with an

Armoured Personnel Carrier.

It was gathered that a church service was ongoing when the policemen besieged the church, allegedly manhandled the worshippers and threw them out of the church.

Afterwards, the policemen locked the church and made away with the key.

Journalists, who visited the church after the incident, saw the entire place deserted.

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It was gathered that the incident may not be unconnected with the running crisis in Assemblies of God Church over leadership tussle between embattled General Superintendent, Prof. Paul Emeka, and his ex-deputy turned factional General Superintendent, Dr. Chidi Okoroafor.

The Enugu State High Court recently denied issuing an order to throw Prof. Paul Emeka out of its national secretariat in Enugu.

Mr. Dennis Emmanuel, who was in the church at the time, described the action of the police as embarrassing.

“I don’t know the cause of such embarrassment and inhuman treatment displayed by Nigeria police,” he said.

He alleged that the police manhandled the worshippers and arrested some members.

“We were in the church this morning and troops of heavily armed policemen came with armoured tank as if there was war and started beating and chasing people out of the church.

“The two factions were not fighting. I don’t know why they came. The service was going on. Some of us were at the back celebrating while the others were inside the church.

“For the little time that I have joined them, this is like a year and six months now, one faction will start church service by 6a.m and end by 11a.m, while the other group will start by 11a.m and end anytime of their choice.

“The other faction that starts by 11a.m doesn’t allow them to close as usual. Few months ago, they came and sent others out of church and they kept celebrating outside the church until last two Sundays when the court addressed the issue. The invasion of the church with war machine is what I don’t understand.

“The police were scattered everywhere and ordered the two factions to leave there but as we speak, the two pastors of the other faction are in the pastors’ lodge,” Emmanuel said.

(Credit: Independent News)