The Nation Newspaper

Tag: church

  • APC condemns Anambra Church Killings

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) commiserated with the Catholic Church in Nigeria, the government and people of Anambra State over the attack on St. Phillips Catholic Church in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, which led to the death of scores of worshipers.

     The party in a statement condemned the barbarism displayed by the callous attackers who gunned down defenceless people while they worshiped.

     It called on security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are promptly apprehended and brought to justice.

     The Party also called on security agents in Anambra as well as other parts of the country to provide adequate security in places of worship to forestall a repeat of this unfortunate incident.

  • Church shooting update: Eight worshippers killed, 18 injured

    Church shooting update: Eight worshippers killed, 18 injured

    The attack at St. Philips’ Church in Ozubulu, Anambra State was instigated by disagreements between two drug barons, The Nation has learnt.
    It was gathered that gunmen around 7am, stormed the church and opened sporadic shots at worshippers.
    While initial reports stated that between 20 to 50 persons were killed, the Police Commissioner in charge of the state, Garba Umar said eight worshippers were confirmed dead, 18 others hospitalised and three yet-to-be identified persons fatally wounded.
    It was gathered that two natives of the town who are drug barons and resident in South Africa had disagreements in that country and brought it home.
    Thugs loyal to one of the men, it was learnt, stormed the church and killed the father of the other alongside other worshippers.
    Condemning the  incident, the Commissioner said efforts were on to arrest the drug lords and other culprits.
    He said: “It is a sacrilege to storm a church and attack worshippers. Thr attack was carried out by assassins.  Eight worshippers were confirmed dead and 18 hospitalised. Three unknown persons were fatally wounded. We are yet to ascertain who they are.
    “The shootings was as a result of a fight between two individuals from the village. They are resident in South Africa and they brought their fight home.
    “It is true that they killed the father of one of the two men fighting. Both men. We have not made any arrests but ate making efforts to get them all.”

  • Gunmen strike in Anambra, kill worshippers in Church

    Gunmen strike in Anambra, kill worshippers in Church

    Gunmen on Sunday stormed the St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra.

    An eyewitness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that the gunmen went into the church during the 5:45 a.m. mass and identified a particular man and shot him.

    He said that they later went on rampage and shot at the remaining worshippers numbering over 100.

    Scores of people were killed in the church while other critically injured worshippers died on the way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi.

    The source, however, said the priest of the church was not wounded in the incident.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Garba Umar, confirmed the incidence, adding that more details would be given after investigations. (NAN)

  • Dunlop seeks $14.6m from church, bank for ‘trespass’

    TDN Tyre and Rubber Plc. (formerly Dunlop Nigeria Plc.), has asked a Lagos High Court in Ikeja to compel a church and a bank to pay it $14.6 million, as damages for allegedly trespassing its property at Oba Akran Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos.

    The firm is also seeking an order restraining the defendants from further entering, encroaching on, building or developing the property.

    Mr. Dave Ajetunmobi is the second claimant/applicant in the suit before Justice K. O. Dawodu.

    Joined as defendants are the Registered Trustees of the Word of Power Global Ministries International (the Triumphant Christian Centre), Rev. S.O. Olubiyo, Pastors Harriet Olubiyo and Akin Ayanwale, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and Lagos Land Use and Allocation Committee.

    The claimants averred in their statement of claim that 12,500 square metres from the the firm’s 20.22 acres at plot 23 Oba Akran Avenue, was forcibly and illegally taken over by the bank.

    They claimed that the bank set the machinery in motion for the alleged forcible acquisition of the property by prematurely calling up a loan facility before subsequently selling the property to the church.

    The firm further averred, in an amended statement of claim, that the bank induced it into the contract in which the purported transfer of property was affected on an “unsubstantiated excuse that it was a directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

    DN Tyre contended that “by a December 18, 2009 deed, the claimant purported to assign to the first defendant (bank), an unidentified (unspecified) portion of the claimant’s land for N625 million.

    But the bank, in its statement of defence, absolved itself of any wrongdoing in the matter.

    It said the claimant voluntarily offered the land to it, to liquidate its indebtedness.

    Similarly, the church contended that at the time it took possession of the property, the claimant had neither legal nor equitable interest to protect any longer in the property, as it had voluntarily transferred it to the bank.

  • Wike revokes Novotel’s Certificate of Occupancy

    Wike revokes Novotel’s Certificate of Occupancy

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has revoked the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of Novotel Hotel, Port Harcourt for being “the centre of electoral fraud and malpractice”.
    The governor made announcement  during the second session  of the third synod  of Anglican Diocese of Evo on Sunday.
    The governor directed the Special Adviser on Land to “with immediate effect perfect the revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy of the hotel”.
     
    He accused the hotel of turning itself to the state’s worst centre of electoral fraud, which causes insecurity and instability”.  He claimed the facility was on Saturday used to manipulate the non-elective APC local government congress. He also alleged that the hotel was on December 10, last year used to rig elections.
     
    “We cannot allow hotels to be used for unwholesome activities.  The Special Adviser on Lands has been directed to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy of Novotel.  Any business that is used to affect the security of Rivers State will face the music.
     
    “Nobody will allow rigging in 2019. In 2019, it is one man, one vote. I appeal to APC to allow internal democracy to take place.”
     Wike said the Church must decide who leads Rivers.
     
    He said: “In Anambra and Imo States, the Catholic Church plays key role on who leads those states. In Rivers State, the Church should rise up and take a position.
     
    “If someone comes up tomorrow and has no relationship with the Church, the Church will suffer. Rivers State is a Christian State, the Church must play a role.”
     
    Anglican Bishop of Evo Diocese Rt Rev. Innocent Ordu appealed to Rivers people  to support and pray for the Wike administration  “because it is working for the development of the country”.
     
    In his sermon, the Anglican Bishop of Otukpo Diocese, Rt. Rev. David Bello, said Wike stands as a worthy  ambassador of the Church, delivering projects  without excuses.
     
    He said: “Everyday  in the news, Governor Wike is seen working for the people of Rivers State.  He is  doing  projects, despite the economic downturn.  I wonder where he is getting money while his colleagues are giving  excuses.
    “I want to charge the governor to remain focused and not be distracted by unfounded criticisms.  The governor should not  respond  to every unfounded criticism because detractors  disturb  only those  who are working”.

  • Badoo: ‘Church leaders must reject suspicious money’

    Lagos cleric, Prophet Lai Bamidele, has said most church leaders in the country “suffer integrity deficit.”

    Bamidele, who is General Overseer of Glorious End-Time Evangelical Ministries, a church with headquarters in Oko-Oba, Lagos, said if the churches had been playing their roles effectively, criminal activities would have abated.

    Bamidele said the recent Badoo ritual killing syndicate in Ikorodu, was clear evidence that most men of God often looked the other way when rich, ritual killers give huge sums of money to church without defined jobs.

    He said: “While many other factors contribute to crime, I am of the belief that many men of God in this country are liable in the way they encourage people of shady character to bring money, without bothering to find who such persons are. Integrity is the hallmark of success in life. The leader we are having in this country today lack integrity.

    “It has also entered into churches. Pastors don’t preach righteousness again; they do not speak holiness again. Pastors only preach prosperity. When they bring money, you don’t ask them where they got the money from. You will say ‘God has blessed the church’ and that is why the church is polluted today.

    “There is no more truth in the church; even if it is blood money, as long as it is fat, you will collect it. Until the church of God starts saying the truth, we are going nowhere as a nation.”

  • Two women, kids injured as Badoo attacks church

    Two women, kids injured as Badoo attacks church

    The notorious Badoo gang yesterday stormed a church in Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Lagos, wounding two women and their children.

    It was the first time the gang would strike in Ajegunle since it went on a killing orgy around Ikorodu.

    The victims were said to have been attacked while asleep after a vigil at Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Aladura, 4, Victor Anibaba Street, Owode Weigh Bridge, Ajegunle.

    The women simply referred to as Iya Dabira and Iya Ayomide are lying critically ill at the Ikorodu General Hospital, but the state of their children could not be ascertained.

    Earlier reports however indicated that the children died on the spot.

    According to the founder of the church, Rotimi Ajidara, the killers scaled the fence around 2.30am to attack their victims.

    He said the women and children were asleep at another section of the premises after the vigil, while he retired to his apartment.

    Ajidara said he was woken up by the screams of his members, adding that he immediately alerted his neighbours.

    He said: “I went straight to the church, only to find the two women and their daughters in a pool of their own blood and I alerted some of my neighbours, who in turn called the attention of other residents.

    “Since I have been hearing about the killings by Badoo, I never knew they would come to my church.  After checking round it was discovered that they scaled the fence into the church to cause the harm.

    “I don’t know what to tell the families of the victims, because they only came to my church for vigil. My prayer now is that God heals the two women who are still battling to survive.”

  • Fire guts House on the Rock in Abuja

    Fire guts House on the Rock in Abuja

    Most parts of the House on Rock church, Abuja popularly known as Citadel and Tower went up in flames on Sunday following an electrical fault that was said to have caused a fire incident few hours after the worshipers closed for the Sunday service.
    The inferno which began at about 2:00 pm according to an eyewitness started from the part of the building that was being renovated and lasted for several hours before fire officials could put if off.
    The Nation learnt that no life was lost because the main church building was closed for total renovation while a makeshift auditorium was provided beside the building for use during Sunday services and other church programmes.
    A church member who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the fire started when they heard a loud spark from the section under renovation. “Gradually, we begun to see smoke and that attracted the attention of other church workers.”
    “We immediately contacted other church officials and together, we begun to put heads together on how to extinguish the fire. But the more we tried, the more the fire spread until the fire overwhelmed us. The fire officials contacted few minutes after tried all they could but achieve little result. I was totally disappointed with the FCT and federal fire officials.”
    While the fire was burning, some worshipers and passersby watched helplessly but prayerfully as they await the arrival of reinforcement from superior officials.
    However, the fire was put off following the arrival of fire officials from Julius Berger construction company and the headquarters of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at about 5: 10pm, assisted by NEMA officials at about 6: 00pm after over six fire trucks from federal and FCT fire services battled the inferno.
    Result of preliminary investigation, according to  Wuye Divisional Police Officer, ASP Salomi Jimbest confirmed that the fire was caused by power surge at the auditorium.
    She also confirmed that no life was lost, as all the members had vacated the building before the commencement of the incident.
    No official of the church management could speak to journalists on the incident.

  • Church prays court to restrain govt from its property

    The Incorporated Trustees of Word of Life Bible Church has prayed a Lagos High Court at Igbosere to restrain the state government from dispossessing it of its land on Victoria Island.

    In a suit before Justice Christopher Balogun, the church prayed the court to compel the government to issue it a building permit for Block 1 at Plot 21E on Victoria Island Annex Residential Scheme.

    Joined as defendants are: The governor, Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Building Control Agency, Physical Planning Permit Authority and Task Force on Environmental Sanitation.

    In a March 16, 2015 Statement of Claim, the claimant, through its lawyer, Kayode Bankole, averred that it acquired the property in 2003 with Certificate of Occupancy Number 68/68.199AR from (defunct) Habib Nigeria Bank Limited.

    The church said it secured “an approval for change of use of the land from residential to institutional (place of worship)” via a September 7, 2004 letter.

    It added that its application for a building plan approval was “received, processed and assessed for payment of various sums of money which the claimant paid”.

    Bankole said: “The claimant applied for and secured land clearance from the defendants, by which the claimant was confirmed as the assignee of the land.”

    The defendants, the claimant said, demanded and received N4,590,132.99 as Land Use Charge and other payments to allow it “continue with its church building, when suddenly, the defendant posted a contravention notice, dated January 2014, on its fence, alleging absence of development permit as ground of seeking removal of the building on the land within two days”.

    The defendant allegedly posted another two-day notice on January 21 and “demolished part of the fence without any lawful justification and in bad faith”.

    Bankole said the defendants, by two letters of July 27, 2010 and June 25, 2011, admitted “the loss of all documents submitted by the claimant and demanded another set of documents and fees, which the claimant obliged”.

    Word of Life Bible Church is seeking, among others, a declaration that the defendants’ acts on or about January 21, 2014 amounted to trespass, was illegal, unconstitutional and contrary to Section 43 of the 1999 Constitution.

    The church is seeking a declaration that the defendants negligently lost its (church’s) documents and an order compelling them to refund N3,057,056.36 “unjustly demanded and received” twice for the building permit processing.

    It is also seeking a declaration that “the sealing of the claimant’s property since April 2014 by the fourth defendant is wrong, illegal and unlawful and an order directing it to unseal the property”.

    At the last mention of the suit on May 25, the defendants had not filed their defence.

    Justice Balogun adjourned the matter till July 6.

     

  • Church shares food to 500 fasting Muslims

    The Christ Evangelical Intercessory Fellowship Ministry, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna has doled out over 500 food packages to Muslims, since the beginning of the Ramadan.

    Its General Overseer, Pastor Yohanna Buru told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna yesterday that the food packages and drinks were shared out to destitute and the poor.

    He said the church was in the forefront of promoting religious tolerance in the state, adding that the gesture was to deepen peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians.

    “We must support our brothers and sisters with what to eat in these 30 days, in view of the high cost of food items in local markets. This gesture will strengthen good relationship with Muslims and promote religious tolerance and better understanding among different faiths,” he said.

    According to him, it is not the first time the church is distributing foodstuffs to needy Muslims during the Ramadan.

    Buru recalled that the Church had distributed over 1,000 packaged food and drinks to Internally Displaced Persons, destitute and prison inmates in 2016.

    The cleric stressed that Islam and Christianity have many things in common as contained in the Bible and Qur’an, adding, “we are all brothers and sisters and must support each other to live in peace and harmony.”

    He decried the negative attitude of traders who usually take advantage of the Ramadan to hike prices of goods, saying that the action negates every tenet of religion.

    Buru appealed to wealthy Muslims and Christians nationwide to support the poor, including widows and orphans to ease their pains.