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  • Church marks 150th anniversary with exhibition

    Church marks 150th anniversary with exhibition

    The 150-year-old Cathedral Church of  St. Jude, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, last week opened a photo exhibition titled: Faces, Structures and Moments, as part of activities marking the church’s anniversary, Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme reports.

    Archival photographs dating back to over a century formed the core of collections on display at the Young Men Christian Union Hall (YMCU), Cathedral Church of St. Jude, Ebute Meta, Lagos.

    The exhibition tagged: Faces, structures and moments, which opened last Tuesday, featured a wide range of photographs that captured, among others, some faces, structures and moments in the 150-year-old history of the church, established following the settlement of Christian refuges from Abeokuta.

    Leading the collection are photographs of the church’s early leaders (14 of the 18 vicars of the church). They included Rev J. S. Williams (1895-1901), Rev. Canon James Pearse (1901-1938), Rev T.O. Dedeke (1939-1955), Venerable A. A. Efunkoya (1961-1964) and Rev Canon J. S. Adeniyi (1967-1970).

    Also on display are historic photographs, showing different stages and moments in the life of the YMCU, dating back to when the union was nine years till date. Examples of such photographs are YMCU @9 in 1950, YMCU @45 in 1986 and YMCU @65 in 2006. Photographs of major events such as readers’ procession in the 90s and Osinbajos and YMCU members, Ikenne, in 1965/1966 are also on display.

    Other photographs showing the transformation of the structures include the old vicarage, Tejuoso chapel, Bethany house and the tree shaded hall. The exhibition, which will remain open for two weeks, kick-started the church’s process of rebuilding its memories and records.

    The 150th Anniversary Committee Vice Chairman, Mr Lanre Idowu, said one of the objectives of the exhibition is to enable the church start the process of rebuilding its memories and archives, noting that much of important records such as photographs have been lost to poor records keeping and handling. He said it would also rekindle parishioners’ interest in keeping record in order to assist the church to ‘digitally archive them and return the original to the owners’.

    On how the church was able to source its exhibits, Idowu said: “We appealed to parishioners to share with us these images we are showing. We also looked into church records, but we had lost a lot of these photographs. Part of what this exhibition will do for us is to begin to restore our records, hoping we can build on it. This will also rekindle parishioners’ interest in keeping their records in order to digitally archive them and return the original to the owners.

    “The church has no fewer than 18 vicars. And photographs of 14 out of the 18 past vicars are on display at the exhibition. But two parishioners have promised to provide two of the four photographs of the vicars. The photographs of the first two are, however, still missing, which are Rev. Faulkner and Rev John White. There are still some exhibits to be added, which were not ready at the time of curating this exhibition. Some of the exhibits will be part of a book that is in the works.”

    According to Idowu, the collection on display has been faithful to the exhibition theme: Faces, structures and moments. This, he said, explained an aspect of the anniversary as the church  would re-enact the struggle. He disclosed that there would be a dance drama presentation, which will tell the exodus of the expelled Christian refugees following a clash between them and traditionalists in Abeokuta.

    “That exodus will be presented in a dance format. A lot has happened in the life of the church. A book is in the works on the church and this celebration gives us the opportunity to continue to dig for more facts about the church. St. Jude Church is the first church to be established on Lagos Mainland,” he added.

    The exhibition was declared open by Ambassador Ebun Olu Taiwo and attended by guests, who included Bishop Emeritus Diocese of Mbaise, Rt Revd Bright J. E Ogu; Bishop, Diocese of Lagos Mainland Rt Revd Akinpelu Johnson, and Dean, Cathedral Church of St. Jude, Venerable Feyi Ojelabi

  • Arrest of traffickers: FRSC lied, says Church

    Arrest of traffickers: FRSC lied, says Church

    The United Church of Christ in Nigeria, (HEKAN)  has described the reported arrest of some child traffickers with 40 suspected trafficked children, by personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), as false.

    The church said the 42 people arrested were 40 of its Sunday School pupils and two of their teachers, who were on their way to attend the National Sunday School Camp at the church’s headquarters in Kaduna.

    FRSC had on Saturday last week, said it arrested a vehicle for overloading and broken windscreen, which was later discovered to be occupied by suspected child traffickers with minors heading to an unknown destination.

    The Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, in a statement, stated that the vehicle, a silver Ford Galaxy with number  plate LMU76XA, was travelling from Kano to an undisclosed location on Thursday at 11:55 am, when an FRSC patrol team in Kaduna State flagged down the driver, who refused to stop.

    However,  the United Church of Christ in Nigeria, HEKAN in a statement issued in Kaduna on Friday condemned in strong terms, what it termed, the arrest of 40 of its Sunday school pupils and two teachers who were arrested by personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps Kaduna state command while on their way to attend the annual HEKAN National Sunday School Camp at the church Headquarters in Kaduna

    The statement signed by the Vice President of the church, Reverend Emmanuel Nama said the children left their homes with the consent of their parents and their resident Pastors to attend the annual HEKAN Natioanl Sunday school camp.

    According to the church, ‘The 42 persons were arrested along Ali AKilu road in Kaduna at about 4; 30pm Wednesday evening and were also been maltreated by the FRSC personnel.”

    “The FRSC had earlier held a press briefing and snap shots of the children stating that the children were taken for trafficking before handing them over to the Kaduna state Police command without confirming from the church authority despite all explanation by their teachers on their movement”.

    Reverend Nama also said the children are presently at the Headquarters of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria HEKAN Katsina road for the Annual Sunday school camp.

    The church authority however called on the authorities concerned to investigate the matter and also demanded for public apology from the FRSC Kaduna state Command.

    “The church is calling on the general public to disregard the news given by the FRSC Kaduna command which says it arrested a vehicle for overloading along Kaduna-Zaria road, which was later discovered to be occupied by suspected child traffickers with 44 minors.

    “We are stating categorically that, the story painted by FRSC is false and baseless. Those arrested are genuine members of the United church of Christ in Nigeria HEKAN DCC Gubuchi in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna state”, HEKAN leader said.

  • Church hosts camp meeting for women

    A church, Holy Spirit Mission (aka Happy Family Chapel), will host women for a prayer camp meeting, tagged: When Mama Prays.

    The organiser Rev. Carol Ighele said the meeting will hold between August 16 and 19 at the church’s premises on Shasha Road at Akowonjo in Egbeda, Lagos.

    The cleric said Pastors Angela Okotie-Eboh and Theresa Johnson, among others, will speak at the event.

    She said women from 16 years and above were targeted, adding that the programme will assist participants to have a better focus for a better society.

    Ighele said: “This programme is a praying and teaching conference for women of 16 years and above. The woman is a very important member of the family and the nation. She is a homebuilder.

    “Once the woman has the right focus, the children would grow right, the husband would be happy and the society would benefit from it. Our focus is to train the woman and the girl-child spiritually.

    “We teach women on the challenges of womanhood and how they can become better persons in the society. Ours is a kingdom agenda. We are working to ensure that the Kingdom of God is experienced here on earth.

    “Our speakers are drawn from all over the world. We empower women in every area. We teach them how to be entrepreneurs, ministers; it is a total package. We implore women to come with their children who are 16 years and above.”

     

     

     

  • ‘My bittersweet experiences with the Nigerian church’

    ‘My bittersweet experiences with the Nigerian church’

    Widely travelled and vivacious, Prophetess Dr Donna Dandie has been in Nigeria in the last six months on divine promptings for some strategic assignments. The co-founder of Reach International in Cayman Islands, a small nation with 60,000 people located South of Cuba, West of Jamaica, and just an hour’s flight from Florida, US, speaks with Sunday Oguntola on why she is here. Excerpts:

    How did you hit on idea of coming to Nigeria?

    It’s actually my first time in Africa and it is amazing Nigeria is the first country to visit on the continent. November is my birth month and I usually wait upon the Lord in fasting and prayer for the next level. I did the same last year and God said ‘I want you to go to Africa’.

    Initially, He didn’t say where in Africa but eventually I understood He wanted me in Africa. But He didn’t say why He wanted me to come over as well despite my constant questioning. So, I accepted His way and I must say coming here is a journey of faith.

    This is because the ministry is self-funded. Virtually all my financing goes into the ministry, even back home. So coming here is a big step of faith for me because I didn’t have any sort of money anywhere to even buy a ticket.

    10 days before I came, God kept appearing to me physically to talk about the journey to Nigeria. Four days before I came, He confirmed He wanted to send me to the churches and that buckled my mind because I am aware of the demonic influences over here.

    In my mind, I saw the churches already dealing with that and I was wondering what I had to offer on that. God didn’t give me a message or anything more. The night that I came here in March, as the plane was descending, the Lord showed me a huge fountain of fire coming out of Nigeria.

    And He said to me, “This is what I want to return, restore and renew in Nigeria.” I kept it close to my heart because it was so vivid. If I was an artist, I could draw what I saw. It would affect Nigeria and spread through the entire Africa. I never forgot the vision.

    Then, what happened?

    So, I came and started ministering in some churches and I was so disturbed by what I found here. Coming from the Western side of the globe, I expected to find fire-packed, Holy Ghost services but I didn’t find that.

    I found instead of worship, noise and it disturbed me greatly. And I thought for a moment maybe I missed God. As I began to move around, I found out people were literally chanting during prayers. I would hear ‘fire’, ‘fire’ and ‘blood of Jesus’. It didn’t settle well with me.

    Why didn’t it settle well with you?

    It didn’t settle well because it would come as people were trying to deal with the issues of life. So, if they were praying for financial deliverance, there would be fire against something. I didn’t see that anywhere in the Bible. I am a kind of person who wants to hear truth that sets people free.

    As I began to preach, I would ask if there were people who had been coming to church for the same issue in the last two years without solution. You know what? Over 80 percent of the church would raise up their hands. It started bothering me and I would return home many nights, weeping.

    The majority of those individuals are unsaved. They have not heard the truth. They go out and live sinful lives, then return to church to fix their lives. They would be chanting ‘fire;, ‘fire’ and ‘blood of Jesus’.

    I began to realise that there is a certain mixture of Christianity and idolatry. That shocked me because I wasn’t expecting that and how to handle it. When that realisation hit, I started having demonic attacks. Then the Lord began to open my eyes to see in the Spirit’s realm than I used to before.

    I heard conversations among ministers and realised there is great segregation and lack of trust. It started bothering me. Also, the fathers of the land are disconnecting from the children. And because of the disconnect, the children are acting like prodigal sons and daughters.

    They have wandered from the truth that the fathers have set. I also realised that there are some ministers that as they climb the ladders of success, they separate themselves from those who need their years of experience and assistance. They are separating themselves from the responsibilities God has called them to.

    Every father, whether physical or spiritual, provides the right nourishment and nutrients for the children for them to become better. But I realised it is not like that in Nigeria. These are some of the issues really hitting me hard here. They are not necessarily unique to Africa but because of the size, it is more prominent and blatant.

    Then God showed me that the fire I saw when I was coming in was His intended glory for Africa. Twenty years ago, something happened that caused a serious shift in the spirit’s realm that nobody dealt with. Nobody would tell me what happened but they admitted something happened then that made Christianity take a nosedive in Nigeria.

    What have you been doing since then?

    Oh, I have been ministering in churches and calling ministers back to unity of the Spirit. I have been speaking on why they don’t need to just do deliverance without the word to sustain people.

    I began to hear about things like pastors wearing charms and joining the cult for power. The more I hear, the more my heart has been broken. Nigeria has been occupying my thoughts constantly, even while asleep. I am praying for God to send the remnants together who are not afraid of the truth.

    What positives have you found out?

    I realised that people are genuinely hungry and searching for God. There are a few ministers of the gospel that are up there without losing the substances. It is amazing that they are determined Nigeria must change. I have met some awesome ministers of God in this country.

    To be honest, I have heard some revelations in Nigeria like I have never met anywhere in the world. I have been learning how to pray from some Nigerian ministers. I have seen the powers of God manifesting in amazing ways in this country.

    I was with Apostle Wole Oladiyun on a crusade in Ilu-Oluji and saw some mind-blowing miracles. It is encouraging some people are going to the villages to hunt for souls. I call them the remnants who have not sold out to anyone or thing. I know those are men God will use to restore and renew the fire.

    I consider myself Nigerian because my mother’s father’s family is originally from Nigeria.

    Really? Have you been able to trace your roots?

    Not totally, but we have been given some little information here and there that we are not sure of yet. But my father’s father is from South Africa.

    Nigeria has become such a spiritual part of me that I am determined to stay on my knees until the spiritual revival comes. I am thrilled the Vice President is a Christian. If we pray for the man, God would show up for His glory in this nation.

    How do you find Nigerians?

    I find Nigerians to be very humble, in some instances and very grateful people. They are also very aggressive but find it difficult to deal with the truth most times. I always marvel how an aggressive people will find it hard to accept the truth.

    Then, they are very hard working. You will find on the roads, young men and women selling one article or commodity to earn a living. If I look over my experiences in Nigeria, I will say that if I had to do it again, I would.

    God has warned that Nigeria has three years to get things right. If not, He would take the fire away to South Africa.

    If ministers will not repent, you will begin to hear of deaths from the pulpits. Church leaders will just start dropping dead. God protects His name. He would not allow men to destroy the things that He bought with the blood of Jesus.

    Any regrets being in Nigeria?

    I have no regrets at all, to be honest. Everything works together for those who believe. I have been through things since I came. It’s been bittersweet but I have no complaints whatsoever.

    God has used everything to make me a better place. I am grateful God found me worthy to go through those experiences. If I have to do it all over again, I would do the same to be honest.

    How much do you miss home?

    I miss my home and family so much. I talk to them every day. I don’t bore them with the details or unnecessary information, but I miss them a lot.

    Are you planning to come back here again?

    Sure, I will like to. I can’t tell when but I know the Lord will certainly bring me back to Nigeria. That’s for sure.

    What can Nigerians learn from Western Christians and vice versa?

    I think Western Christians are more trusting in the Lord. They have great expectations on the whole but if they don’t find it in the church, there is nowhere else to go. There are exceptions to the rule but the people who go to the church will just give up.

    That is something that I think Christians here can learn. Your power does not come from the world or the charm you wear. Don’t mix what is good with what’s bad. When you add anything to the gospel that you know, you contaminate it. That is what I want Nigerian Christians to know.

    For the Western Christians, they should know that demonic influences are real. They know about the devil but do not realise He has a vast Kingdom. He’s very organised and tidy. He knows what He’s doing. The physical manifestations are not as blatant as you see here but they should know he exists.

    So the Christians in the West should know there is a spiritual battle between light and darkness. They will do well to learn how to defeat the devil. If we bring both together, can you imagine how we will defeat the devil?

    I am going back home with a whole lot of experiences that I cannot even put a price now. I can’t wait to share with people back home.

    Do you believe Christians should criticise themselves publicly?

    You know, I wrote a book where I washed all my dirty laundry in the public. I spoke about divorce, rape, masturbation and all that. These were my struggles. I had a hard time writing the book but I did.

    If you have a wound and keep covering it, won’t it kill you? You have to open it up, get it out there and get healing. The church needs to stop hiding. There is so much going on in the church that we don’t want to talk about.

    Whatever issues the church has, the world has too. The world thinks we are hypocrites because we hide our issues and challenges. We cannot keep hiding our sins. When I minister, I am the first to wash my dirty laundry. I let people know I am not perfect, I have issues but God is still using me.

    I know Christians are the only soldiers that kill their wounded. But we cannot keep hiding. A dead man has absolutely nothing to hide. When Jesus hanged on the cross, He exposed himself. He had nothing to hide again. He exposed everything and that is what we should do.

  • Anambra Church killings an attack on God- Ohaneze​

    Anambra Church killings an attack on God- Ohaneze​

    The Socio-Cultural group Ohaneze Ndigbo has condemned the attack on St Philip Catholic Church Ozubulu, Anambra state by unknown gunmmen describing it as an attack on God.
    “Such a dastardly and cantankerous act smells to high heaven. People have lost reason, civility and good conscience. This is a direct attack on God with daft and brazen impunity,” the organisation noted .
    In statement by the National Publucity Secretary of the Organization, Prince Uche Achi-Okpaga, Ohaneze said the attack is unforgivable.
    “The devil sold a dummy to them and they bought it hook, line and sinker. This is condemned in all ramification. If you attack a man you appeal to God for recompense, when you attack God in His sanctuary who will will appeal to”, he queried.
    The group while commiserating with the government and people of the state, urged the Police not to speculate but to carry out detailed investigation to unmask the real perpetrators.
    “Ohaneze joins the league of well meaning Nigerians to commiserate with the good people of Anambra state and, in particular, the entire bereaved families and pray the Almighty God to give them enough spiritual shock absorber to bear the irreparable and irreplaceable loss.
    “The operatives should not speculate. They should swing into action to unmask the devil incarnates”.
    Mr Achi-Okpaga further charged  security agencies to redouble their efforts to make the south east zone safer for the people.
     “The whole of South East is under siege with Police and military blockades here and there. Yet herdsmen killings and kidnapping and all sorts of vices have become the order of the day. It is unfortunate,” he lamented.
  • Barbaric church killing: Priest unhurt

    Barbaric church killing: Priest unhurt

    Buhari, Saraki, Dogara, others condemn attack

    It was all like an action-packed movie.

    A gunman dressed in black, storming a church and opening fire on worshippers.

    There was commotion. By the time the gunman left, no fewer than 11 worshippers lay dead.

    That was the scene yesterday at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Amakwa-Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State. The gunman came during the early morning mass.

    Many were injured during the incident, which Governor Willie Obiano described as “sacrilegious”.

    An eyewitness, who narrated how the attack occurred, said the priest, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, was unhurt. The witness, who said he was part of those who evacuated the victims, said the gunman went into the church, identified Chief Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, a parishioner, and shot him dead. He then went on the rampage, shooting indiscriminately at worshippers.

    Commissioner of Police Garba Baba Umar said 11 persons were killed and 18 injured. He said some people in the community had been invited for interrogation.

    It was leant that the gunman may have struck on the instruction of one of two suspected drug barons from the community who live in South Africa. One of them, who was the gunman’s target, is believed to have built the Catholic Church about two years ago.

    There are two accounts of the incident. One is that a gunman committed the crime. The other claimed there were six gunmen.

    A source from the community, who pleaded for anonymity, told The Nation that the gunmen visited the home of one of the drug barons, perhaps to assassinate him, but discovered that he had travelled.

    This, according to the source, might have made them to visit the Catholic Church near his house.

    The father of the suspected drug baron was killed along with others in the church

    The police commissioner said preliminary investigation revealed that the attack was carried out by people from the area and not by Boko Haram as being speculated in some quarters.

    He said: “From our findings, it is very clear that the person who carried out the attack must be an indigene of the area.

    “We gathered that worshippers for 6 o’clock Sunday mass at St. Philip Ozobulu were in the service when gunmen dressed in black attire, covering their faces with fez caps, entered the church and moved straight to a particular direction and opened fire.

    “The men, after shooting at their targeted victim, still went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding other worshippers.’’

    It was learnt that the attackers were speaking Igbo when firing at the worshippers.

    Umar said though no arrest had been made, the police were working on the information that the attack followed a quarrel between two Ozubulu men living abroad.

    The commissioner of police said it was wrong for the perpetrators of the act to take their quarrel into the church, saying “such conduct shows the people behind the act do not fear God’’.

    The police have launched a manhunt for suspects.

    Dismissing the rumour that the attack was carried out by Boko Haram elements, Umar urged residents to go about their businesses without fear.

    Obiano visited the church and the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi where the injured were being treated.

    He also confirmed that the shooting followed a clash of two brothers based abroad. He described it as a “communal feud”.

    Obiano promised to offset the medical bills of the injured and assist in the funeral for those killed.

    Some of the critically injured died on the way to the hospital.

    Obiano added that intelligence report linked the shooting to an existing feud between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu living abroad.

    “It is an isolated case and I urge worshippers in the Church and residents of the area to go about their normal activities.”

    He also said 50 doctors had been mobilised to the hospital to assist in providing the best medical care to the injured persons.

    The governor also visited Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Cathedral, Nnewi, where he addressed a congregation of worshippers.

    He intimated the worshippers on the true picture of the incident, saying there was nothing to worry about.

    The Priest of St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, said the attack took place at about 6.30 a.m.

    According to him, an unidentified man came into the church, shot at a man,  Ikegwuonwu, before shooting sporadically at other worshippers.

    An eyewitness, who simply identified herself as a choir member, said the church was dark as there was no power supply at the time.

    She said the generating set suddenly stopped working; so, the mass proceeded with the congregation using candles.

    According to her, the gunman, after the shooting, immediately jumped into a waiting car with a driver.

    One of the survivors, Mr. Stephen Ohamadike told The Nation at the church premises that the gunmen entered the church around 6.45am as they were about to begin “ the prayer of the faithful”.

    His words: “Those of us who were to say the prayers of the faithful had just assembled at the altar and I had number 2 which meant that I was to say the prayer for Nigeria.

    “Suddenly, I saw someone who was putting on a cap, shooting indiscriminately inside the church.

    “There was pandemonium and in the midst of the confusion, I just lay down on the floor.

    “The officiating priest and the Mass servers quickly left the altar and the Mass came to an abrupt end.

    ”I counted 11 bodies and many were injured. I used the vehicle belonging to Pa Ikwgwuonu to take him and his wife and others to Evans Hospital where the doctors advised us to go to the teaching hospital.  I used the car to convey many other people to the hospital before I came back to Amakwa.”

  • Catholic Church: attack regrettable

    The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Anambra, has described Sunday’s attack on worshippers at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu by a gunman as regrettable.

    A statement by Rev. Hygi Aghaulor, Director of Communications of the Diocese, said Parish Priest Rev Fr. Jude Onwuaso escaped unhurt.

    He described the act as a sign of loss of what is sacred and condoled with the families of victims of the attack.

    “It is regrettable that our people are more and more losing a sense of what is sacred.

    “What on earth would make people open fire on innocent unarmed worshippers including children and women on a Sunday morning?

    “We condemn this ungodly act in its totality; we pray Almighty God to console the families affected and assure them that our hearts are with them as we pray for the quick recovery of the wounded.

    “For the entire parishioners, we call on them not to be discouraged in their usual practice of faith.

    “It is when the forces of darkness attempt to overshadow goodness that the light of God shines even brighter than ever just as it happened on Easter Sunday.

    “Evil may make attempts but God and goodness will always triumph; we call on the good people to continue to pray for the deceased worshippers and their families,” Aghaulor stated.

  • Anambra church shooting regrettable- Catholic Diocese

    Anambra church shooting regrettable- Catholic Diocese

    The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Anambra, has described Sunday’s attack on worshippers at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu, by a gunman as regrettable.

    The church, in a statement signed by Rev. Hygi Aghaulor, Director of Communications of the Diocese, and available to newsmen, said that the Parish Priest, Rev Fr. Jude Onwuaso escaped unhurt.

    He described the act as a sign of loss of what is sacred and consoled the families of victims of the attack.

    “It is regrettable that our people are more and more loosing a sense of what is sacred.

    “What on earth would make people open fire on innocent unarmed worshippers including children and women on a Sunday morning?

    “We condemn this ungodly act in its totality; we pray Almighty God to console the families affected and assure them that our hearts are with them as we pray for the quick recovery of the wounded.

    “For the entire parishioners, we call on them not to be discouraged in their usual practice of faith.

    “It is when the forces of darkness attempt to overshadow goodness that the light of God shines even brighter than ever just as it happened on Easter Sunday.

    “Evil may make attempts but God and goodness will always triumph; we call on the good people to continue to pray for the deceased worshippers and their families,” Aghaulor stated.

    Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state Mr Garba Umar, has said that the command would leave no turn unturned to bring the attackers to justice.

    Umar, who spoke at a news conference in Awka on Sunday, gave the updated figures of casualties as 11 dead and 18 injured.

    He ruled out the possibility of a terror attack, and spoke about an isolated feud between individuals in the community.

    He said that the command had invited some suspects who would be useful to the investigation.

    The CP advised residents to go about their lawful businesses, assuring them that churches and public places were safe.

    “At about 6.30 a.m. today, Aug. 6, I got a distress call that gunmen had invaded and shot at worshippers at St. Philips Catholic Church, Umuezekwe, Ofufe, Amakwa Village in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Located Government Area.

    “As a result I, the Commissioner of Police, led my operatives immediately to the scene to rescue worshippers.

    “The command, under my watch, will leave no stone unturned in locating and prosecuting those behind the massacre of innocent worshippers.

    “The intelligence report and preliminary investigation showed that the incident was as a result of a feud between two individuals from the same community living outside Nigeria.

    “One of the individuals built the church where the shooting occurred; it is definitely not a terrorist attack in the mould of Boko Haram or Fulani herdsmen attack.

    “The command will brief the public after investigation is concluded; I commiserate with all those who lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident.

    “I also encourage `ndi’ Anambra to be vigilant and to promptly report suspicious movements or strange observation of persons and actions in their localities to the security agencies.’’ Umar said.

  • Unveil Anambra Church killers urgently, Ngige urges security agents

    Unveil Anambra Church killers urgently, Ngige urges security agents

    The Minister of Labour and  Employment, Senator Chris Ngige wants security agents to urgently unravel the circumstances surrounding the murder of innocent worshipers at  St. Philips Catholic Church Ozubulu,  Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State on Sunday.

    In a condolence message to the Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, His Lordship,  Dr. Hilary Odili Okeke, the Metropolitan Bishop of Onitsha, His Grace Dr. Valeria Okeke , the clergies and faithfuls, as well as  the good people of Ozubulu, the Minister described the killings as wicked, dastardly and unwarranted. 

    ” This killing, so dastardly and so wicked is a dangerous dimension which is very  alien to our people and culture. I therefore call on the police and other relevant security agencies to leave no stone unturned in tracking down the murderers and bringing them to justice”

    “If justice is a virtue  that observes the right of all,  then, justice must be given  to these innocent worshippers at any cost,” Ngige said.

    The Minister further called  for prayers for the repose of the souls of the slain worshipers, fortitude to the families left behind and quick recovery of those that sustained injuries in that unfortunate incident.

  • How killer shot Church members – Reverend

    How killer shot Church members – Reverend

    More details have emerged on Sunday’s shooting incident at the St.Philip Catholic Church,  Ozubulu, near Nnewi in Anambra state where eight persons were confirmed dead and and 18 others injured.

    The Parish Priest Reverend. Fr. Jude Onwuaso said that the attack took place at about 6.30 a.m. during a Holy Mass celebration.

    According to the priest, an unidentified man came into the Church, shot at a man, Chief Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, before shooting sporadically at other worshippers.

    An eyewitness, who simply identified herself as a choir member, said that the church was dark as there was no light.

    She said that the generating set suddenly developed fault; so, the mass proceeded with the congregation using candles.

    According to her, the gunman, after the shooting, immediately jumped into a waiting car with a driver.

    Governor Willie Obiano  has however  vowed not to rest until the perpetrators of the killing are brought to justice.

    Obiano made the vow when he visited the scene of the killings in company of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Garba Umar.

    The governor expressed grief over the death of the worshippers, describing the attack as “barbaric, sacrilegious and totally unacceptable”, while also debunking speculations of possible invasion.

    According to him, intelligence report linked the shooting to an existing feud existing between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu living abroad.

    “It is an isolated case and I urge worshippers in the Church and residents of the area to go about their normal activities.”

    Obiano assured the community that his administration was on top of the situation and later visited the injured persons receiving treatment at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Univerity Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi.

    He promised that the state government would pay the hospital bills of the victims.

    He also said that 50 doctors had been mobilised to the hospital to assist in providing the best medical care to the injured persons.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor also visited Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Cathedral, Nnewi, where he addressed a congregation of worshippers.

    He intimated the worshippers on the true picture of the incident, saying there was nothing to worry about.