Assemblies of God mocked as Police tear gas faction loyal to Rev. Paul Emeka

www.odogwublog.com reports that Members of Assemblies of God church loyal to Rev. Professor  Paul Emeka who  embarked on a mission to reclaim  the National headquarters of the church located at No 8 Ozubulu street,Independence layout,Enugu, today, were  tear gassed by a group of mobile police men,as they approached the entrance of the street,singing spiritual songs.

The church members who assembled from various parts of the country acted on the strength of an  Enugu Federal High Court ruling  of 11th April 2017 in the suit with No.FHC/EN/CS/52/2017 which granted Rev Paul Emeka order to the right of occupancy of the National Secretariat/headquarter of the church at  No 8 Ozubulu street,Independence layout, Enugu, pending final determination of the suit pending before the court.

The copy of the order signed by Justice R. O. Dugbo-Ogboghorie  which was made available to news men states as follows, “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”

The Authority recalled that the Rev. Chidi Okoroafor led faction of the church with claims to have obtained judgement as the authentic General Superintendent of the Church at the Supreme Court in February, had on March 29, forcefully bulldozed into the National headquarter of the church and with the assistance of a truckload of soldiers and police men,chased away  Rev Paul Emeka and his management from the headquarter of the church, at Ozubulu street,Independence layout,Enugu.

The Rev. Paul Emeka faction who were in Enugu for a national prayer summit,basking on the  thrills of the redress gotten at  Federal high court, Enugu,decided to take a protest march to the headquarter to reclaim their possession. Their leader,Rev Paul Emeka while briefing them at their take off point at New Haven street branch of the church,urged the members to eschew violence but to use prayer and devotional songs to embark on the mission, stating that both the police and other security agencies are already aware of the latest development, going by the court ruling that he shall repossess the headquarter.

Rev Emeka assured his members that the police will help to let Rev Chidi Okoroafor and his men to quit their illegal occupation of the National headquarter. Therefore, they are going there to continue with their national prayer summit,which is the reason why most of them came to Enugu.

His words,'We are going to take back our National Secretariat. If court order remains court order,if government remains government, the security men should ask Chidi Okoroafor and his collaborators to quit the secretariat.We won't surrender to people who no longer respects doctrines in the Holy Bible. We surrender to God'.

'Let the police do what they are supposed to do and not to pretend. Let them remove those people. We are not going there[National Secretariat] to kill people. We are going there to possess our possessions and to continue our prayers there.'

But unfortunately,when they approached the entrance of the street that leads to the National secretariat,fierce looking police men already positioned at the street,ignored several Christian songs being rendered by the women in their peaceful procession and ordered them to stop. When they didn't stop, they released canisters of tear gas to disperse them.

An image maker of the church told 'The Authority' that the police was duly informed about their mission to march into the national secretariat on the strength of the Federal high court ruling, and they guaranteed to provide them with protection as far as the procession will be peaceful. But to their suprise, another section of the police have waylaid their members and tear gassed them.

 But  when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Enugu state police command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said the  police were not  informed of the Federal high court  order and  that they equally did not  grant  any permit for their procession.

His words, “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.


Assemblies of God mocked as Police tear gas faction loyal to Rev. Paul Emeka Assemblies of God mocked as Police tear gas faction loyal to Rev. Paul Emeka Reviewed by Unknown on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 Rating: 5

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