Ahiara Diocese Crisis: How police invaded the cathedral, brutalised worshippers and arrested five priests [More Details emerge]

Ahiara Diocese Crisis: How police invaded the cathedral, brutalise worshippers and arrested five priests [More Details emerge]

More information are emerging on how men of the Nigerian police invaded and desecrated the Ahiara catholic cathedral on Saturday the 2nd July. 

Eye witness account told our reporters that the policemen numbering over 50 drafted from different formations including the zone 9 Umuahia broke the gates of the cathedral, chased worshipers who were praying within the cathedral premises and arrested over 17 individuals including five priests. Others we were told choked with tear gas canisters that were hauled at them by the police who allegedly went as far as hauling some more of the tear gas canisters into the late Bishop’s private quarters where some priests are resident and where some people ran into for shelter. 

We were told that those arrested were released on Monday (two days after) with most of them complaining that the policemen who arrested them collected their phones and even laptops which were not returned to them after bail. This is an addition to reports from a lot of other individuals who allege that their phones and other personal effects were also collected by the policemen who brutally man handled them.

This newspaper was told that the police took the action under the pretext that a DPO was shot by the youths of the diocese who were demonstrating against the appointment of Peter Ebele Okpaleke as the bishop of the diocese and the insistence of the church leadership who are alleged to be working through a few indigenes of the area to impose him on the diocese even when a vast majority of the diocesan faithful have continued to reject him. 

Breaking! Ahiara Diocese Crisis: Police invade cathedral, arrest priests, shoot tear gas at faithful

However, the position of the police has been faulted by several eye witness accounts who told our reporters that the youths were not armed even with a stick but rather sang anti Okpaleke songs until the police stormed the area shooting sporadically in the air and shooting tear gas at them

This newspaper gathered that it was at that point that the youths started hauling stones and bottles at the police men fragments of which may have wounded the DPO the witnesses said. 

Efforts to get reactions from the leadership of the Mbaise priests proved abortive as they declined comments, but popular opinion in the area condemned the police action saying it is unethical and a desecration of the church. 

Ahiara diocese: It is too late for dialogue…… Fr Ekechukwu

Women, youths and men of the diocese clad in black had gathered at the cathedral to pray for peace in the area and also disassociate themselves from the visit of the National Catholic Women association (CWO) and other delegates from other dioceses and provinces across the country who allegedly came to encourage the minority that clamor for Okpaleke and also incite more people against the majority.

AHIARA DIOCESE- You are misinformed – Rev. Fr. Ekechukwu tells delegation. Urges them to pray.

-SuperNews