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Worshippers sent out as Nigerian church seals headquarters over leadership crisis


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
metro
Lady found dead in Lagos hotel


Lady found dead in Lagos hotel
A female adult who has yet to be recognized was discovered dead in a motel in Morogbo, Badagry, Lagos State.
The event occurred on Friday, November 31, after the deceased checked into the hotel with a male companion.
Both visitors were alleged to have arrived at the motel early that morning and paid for a short rest.
After a few hours, the receptionist, who was going to offer the room to another customer, returned to find it locked.
A resident in the community who spoke to our correspondent on Wednesday said the hotel worker later used a spare key to open the door and thereafter found the lady lying on the bed motionless.
The resident, who craved anonymity due to the nature of the incident, said, “The two guests arrived at the hotel in the morning. After paying, they collected the key to their room and went inside. It was later around 10 pm when the hotel attendant wanted to give the room to another customer that they started to look for the key to the room.
“When they got there, they discovered it was locked. They also knocked but no one answered. They later banged on the door yet no one answered. They had to get a spare key and when the door was opened, only the female guest was found lying naked on the bed. Her body was covered with a bedspread. It was also discovered that her clothes and phone were taken away.”
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The resident said the hotel owner was immediately alerted while the workers searched around for the whereabouts of the male guest.
All efforts to locate him were unsuccessful as their record was not taken by the receptionist when they first arrived.
“The hotel workers searched everywhere as they were also joined by some other persons in an attempt to locate the suspect. It was that same night that the director of the hotel went to report to the police. The police came that night, took pictures of the lady and took her body away. It was difficult to locate her partner because the receptionist did not take the record of the customers. The hotel also does not have a CCTV camera,” the resident added.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident.
He said, “The corpse has been deposited in the morgue. The owner of the hotel has been arrested along with the receptionist. The case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.”
Lady found dead in Lagos hotel
(Punch)
metro
12 killed, others injured in fresh gunmen attacks on Benue communities


12 killed, others injured in fresh gunmen attacks on Benue communities
Gunmen have reportedly taken the lives of at least 12 people, leaving several others injured in recent assaults on communities such as Anyiin, Ayilamo, Iorza, and Gbeji in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State. Allegedly, the attackers are identified as Fulani herdsmen.
According to reliable eyewitnesses, the unprovoked attacks commenced last Monday, claiming the lives of three innocent individuals.
The violence persisted throughout the week, with a total of nine more casualties reported.
An anonymous eyewitness, who managed to escape the onslaught, revealed that the attackers, aside from entering homes, brazenly blocked roads in Anyiin, Iorza, and Gbeji during daylight hours.
This resulted in additional fatalities, with villagers also forced to part with varying amounts of money.
Expressing concern for the safety of the defenseless residents in Anyiin and surrounding areas, the fleeing eyewitness called upon the Benue State Government to urgently provide security.
The eyewitness emphasized that these attacks occurred on a daily basis over the past two weeks, seemingly without intervention from security forces.
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The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, SP Sewuese Anene, officially confirmed the incidents to members of the press.
In an effort to reassure the public, Anene conveyed that the command had taken steps to deploy personnel with the aim of restoring peace in the communities affected by the attacks.
Despite providing this assurance, she encouraged individuals affected by these unfortunate events to maintain a sense of calm and composure in the face of these challenging circumstances.
Benue State is grappling with significant challenges as it confronts frequent attacks perpetrated by both bandits and Fulani, resulting in tragic loss of lives.
The region is currently contending with a series of security issues that have led to a distressing impact on its population, with incidents of violence causing widespread concern.
The ongoing attacks in Benue State have created a pressing need for comprehensive and effective measures to address the complex security situation and safeguard the lives of its residents.
12 killed, others injured in fresh gunmen attacks on Benue communities
metro
BREAKING: 3 NDLEA officers injured after heavy gun battle with Drug Dealers in Edo (Photos/Video)


BREAKING: 3 NDLEA officers injured after heavy gun battle with Drug Dealers in Edo (Photos/Video)
Three operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been injured, and one is set to undergo brain surgery after a fierce gun battle with armed hoodlums.
“The NDLEA operatives were able to exit the area after over two hours of gun fight with the armed hoodlums,” the statement said.
The incident occurred on Monday, December 4, 2023. According to the statement, NDLEA officers, acting on credible intelligence, stormed the forest to destroy the warehouse containing tons of processed psychoactive substances believed to be destined for distribution across the country during the upcoming festive season.
This operation comes just 11 months after a similar raid on the same community led to the arrest of four suspects and the destruction of a massive cannabis warehouse storing over 317 tons of the illicit drug on Wednesday 18th January 2023.
“At least, three suspects: Omoruan Theophilus, 37; Aigberuan Jacob, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere, 42, were arrested in connection with the drugs then,” the statement said.
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It added: “The Opuje community is notorious for cannabis cultivation, where the cartels invest huge resources, cutting down economic trees of the forest reserves and cultivating cannabis on a large scale, running into hundreds of hectares. After harvest, they build warehouses inside the forest reserves and employ the services of armed youths to protect the warehouses 24/7.”
“Following credible intelligence that the drug cartels had again stocked their warehouses in the forest to start distribution of the psychoactive substance to various parts of the country ahead of the yuletide season, teams of NDLEA officers were mobilized to enter the Edo forests and block the distribution of the illicit drug by destroying their warehouses. Some of the warehouses containing about 6,000kgs of cannabis were first taken down in Ujiogba forest in Esan West LGA last weekend.”
“The NDLEA teams however came under gunfire attack in the early hours of Monday 4th December when they approached the Opuje forest after the armed hoodlums had blocked all access roads in the community.”
Reacting to the attack, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.), warned those sponsoring violence against the agency’s operatives, saying the agency would not relent in its efforts to bring these individuals to justice and dismantle their criminal networks.
BREAKING: 3 NDLEA officers injured after heavy gun battle with Drug Dealers in Edo (Photos/Video)
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