Worshippers sent out as Nigerian church seals headquarters over leadership crisis – Newstrends
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Worshippers sent out as Nigerian church seals headquarters over leadership crisis

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Worshippers sent out as Nigerian church seals headquarters over leadership crisis

One of the major churches in Nigeria, the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Saturday sealed off its Abia North Conference at Umuoriehi, in Umuahia North Local Government Area, over a leadership crisis rocking the headquarters.

The church leaders sent the worshippers out of the church premises and locked the gate with a padlock immediately after Saturday’s service.

They displayed placards with different inscriptions at the gate, such as “Sealed,” “End of an era,” and “We pray for a new era of unity, peace, mission-mindedness and genuine spirituality,” among others.

Speaking with reporters, Godson Chukwuocha, leader of the Umuahia/Ubakala/Umunneochi Zone, said they were ending the leadership crisis that had lingered at the church headquarters for the past four years.

Mr Chukwuocha said the members were assembled from the 17 districts that make up the conference.

He said the church decided to pass “a vote of no confidence” in Pastor Enyinnaya Uguru with his executive and asked them to leave office because their tenure had expired.

Mr Chukwuocha said Mr Uguru and his executive had been occupying the position for the past 12 years and had refused to leave, as against the church policy of four-year tenure.

He explained that their tenure expired in February, but the union, which is superior to the Conference, extended it to August after the plea by Uguru and his executive.

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“The union again extended it and expected them to organise another election and hand over to a new executive between September 21 and September 23, but they refused,” he said.

Also, Iroabuchi Alozie, the secretary of the zone, said the church has a policy document that stipulates a four-year tenure.

According to him, today (Saturday) is supposed to have been the swearing-in of the new executive.

“But because we are men and women of integrity, we will not watch impunity continue in the Church of God.

“This is the fourth year we are in this crisis, and we cannot continue like this. We want to stop it now,” said Mr Alozie, the Umuahia District’s secretary.

The district leader, Adventist Women Ministry, Priscilla Ogidi, said the women had pleaded with Mr Uguru and his executive to leave the office for peace to reign, but they refused.

A pastor in Umuahia District, Festus Uzochukwu, expressed displeasure over the leadership crisis, saying, “This is God’s church, and there’s no battle anybody can fight for God.”

Eberechi Uwaoma, the assistant secretary of the youth wing in the district, said the church hierarchy was aware of the crisis and had ordered Mr Uguru and his executive to vacate, but they didn’t.

Mr Uguru or any of his executives could not be reached for comment despite attempts by reporters, as they were said to have left their residences in the church premises before the service.

Worshippers sent out as Nigerian church seals headquarters over leadership crisis

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Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest

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Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the temporary freezing of 21 bank accounts domiciled in some commercial banks and directed the arrest of the account holders by the police.

Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after counsel for the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Ibrahim Mohammed, moved a motion ex-parte to the effect.

Justice Nwite also granted the “order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATMs while allowing inflow into the said accounts” pending the conclusion of the investigation.

“I have listened to the submission of the learner counsel for the applicant and gone through the affidavit evidence.

“I am of the view that the motion ex-parte is meritorious.

“The application is hereby granted except that the period of the investigation can only last for a period of 90 days,” Justice Nwite said.

The judge adjourned the matter until April 3 for mention.

The banks are Access Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Ltd, Wema Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, Guarantee Trust Bank Ltd, United Bank of Africa Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, First Monument Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Plc, TAJ Bank Plc and Keystone Bank Plc.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the I-G is the applicant in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1965/V/2024, the 13 banks are sued as 1st to 13 defendants respectively.

The I-G, in the motion filed by Mohammed, sought an interim order directing the listed “banks to freeze the accounts mentioned in the schedule attached to this summon pending investigation and prosecution of this case.

“An order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATM while allowing inflow into the said account as from the date of this court order.

Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest

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Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community

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Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community

The crisis erupted in the Hallelujah community in Egbedore local government area of Osun State on Friday, as enraged residents beat the newly installed Ajeniju of Hallelujah, Oba Jelili Olaiya while attempting to conduct jumat service in the area.

The Ajeniju, who was installed by the Timi of Ede a few months ago, against the will of the Ido-Osun community, was beaten to a pulp by angry youths, saying he had no right to install a chief Imam in the community.

It was gathered that the monarch had last week turbaned one Ahmad Tijjani as Chief Imam of the Hallelujah community, but while gathering some people at his palace to observe jumat prayer, some youth allegedly from Ido-Osun invaded the palace and disrupted the exercise.

Some of the aggrieved youths while shouting at the monarch queried his authority to install and conduct jumat prayer in a domain belonging to a separate monarch.

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The mob beat the monarch seriously and vandalised the palace before security operatives could intervene in the situation.

A security source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that it took the intervention of security operatives to rescue the monarch from the scene.

“The situation escalated, resulting in the vandalization of the palace and a physical attack on Ajenifuja of Hallelujah, who sustained serious injuries. He has since been taken to the State CID for further investigation and safety”, said the source.

However, another source in the community disclosed that the monarch has been taken to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo for treatment.

Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Security, Hon. Samuel Ojo said he will not comment on the incident pending the outcome of an investigation on the matter.

Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community

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Lagos commuter bus summersaults, LASTMA rescues 8 injured passengers

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Lagos commuter bus summersaults, LASTMA rescues 8 injured passengers

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued eight injured passengers involved in an accident at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba.

The LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

The statement was signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA.

Bakare-Oki said the road traffic incident which involved a commercial long bus, popularly referred to as ‘Molue,’ at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba, caused severe injuries and significant disruption to traffic.

“The accident was triggered when the vehicle, registered as KTU 801 XM, lost control at excessive speed, reportedly due to driver impatience.

“In an attempt to avoid colliding with another LT commercial bus and pedestrians awaiting transport at the roadside, the driver veered sharply, resulting in the bus crashing into the expressway median and overturning.

“Several passengers sustained injuries, while others escaped through the bus’s windows,” he said.

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He said that officers from LASTMA promptly arrived at the scene, executed a well-coordinated and efficient rescue operation.

“Eight individuals, including five males and three females, suffered varying degrees of injuries. Among the injured was the bus driver, who sustained a fractured left arm.

“All victims were immediately handed over to LASAMBUS medical personnel and transported to the General Hospital at Ile-Epo for urgent medical attention,” he said.

Bakare-Oki said to ensure the free flow of traffic and public safety, LASTMA’s Response Unit was swiftly mobilised to oversee the removal of the overturned vehicle.

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