POLICE in Enugu on Tuesday barred members of the Assemblies
of God loyal to the General Superintendent of the church, Reverend Prof Paul
Emeka from gaining entry into the National Secretariat of the church located at
Plot R8, Ozobulu Street, Independence Lay-out, Enugu.
A detached armed policemen fired tear gas sporadically into
the members of the church to disperse them from marching into the secretariat
which they lost to their rivalry group as a result of illegal invasion with any
order from the court led by Reverend Chidi Okoroafor who claimed he is now the
General Superintendent of the church.
Scores of the protesting Assemblies of God members mostly
women were wounded while moving peacefully to their church national secretariat
the security operatives who insisted the Secretariat “is no-go area”
for them.
The Reverend Emeka supporters had earlier gathered at
Assemblies of God, New Haven, also in the metropolis where they were addressed
by their Leader (Reverend Paul Emeka).
Reverend Emeka told them that the document the Reverend
Chidi Okoroafor is parading is fake as it did not come from Supreme Court.
According to Reverend Emeka, “If the Supreme Court has given an order that Chidi
should go in and Paul Emeka to go out, I would have gone whether Chidi is right
or wrong”
“Why use
self-help if Supreme Court had given such an order to exit me from office?”
“What pains
me most is that Chdi was my student. I taught him. I want to let you know that
Paul Emeka is not the problem in Assemblies of God. Even if I resign now many
people have sworn no to work under Chidi and his cohort.”
The Cleric maintained, “The
occupation of the Secretariat is evil. They want us to surrender. But we will
not surrender to coup plotters. We will not surrender to those who do not know
their Bible. We will not surrender to those who came to Assembly because of
money. We will surrender to truth. We will surrender to God.”
“Let police
do what it should do. The Police should not pretend. However, the Court has
told us to take back our possession. We are going to reclaim our secretariat,” Emeka remarked.
In the suit no: FHC/EN/CSS/52/2017 which was made available
to NIGERIAN TRIBUNE in Enugu, the Federal High Court, Enugu, presided over by
Justice R. O. Dugbo-Oghoghorie granted an interim order to Emeka group, “retraining the police from
stopping, restraining, preventing or in any manner whatsoever continuing to
inhibit, lock out or exclude the Applicants namely Reverends Dr Raphael Itotoh,
Emmanuel Ngene and Daniel Amaugo.
The clergymen had challenged the Commissioner of Police,
Enugu State, Inspector-General of Police, Police Serving Commission and
Attorney-General of the Federation at the Federal High Court, Enugu over the
alleged illegal occupation of their secretariat by the police.
Update reaching us yesterday afternoon that It may interest
you yesterday know that the supreme court has given interpretation to the
supreme court judgement sign by the chief registrar signed by Mr Ibrahim Gold,
Director(Legal, Processes & Archives).
It states:
We are not mindful of the order 8 Rule 18:
When the Court
directs any judgement to be enforced by another Court.
a Certificate
under the seal of the court and the hand of the Presiding Justice setting forth
the judgement shall be transmitted by the Registrar to such other Court, and the latter shall enforce such Judgement
in terms of the certificate.
We never transmitted any certificate to warrant enforcement.
Do accept the assurances of the Chief Registrar's warm regards.