Police lock church after service turns violent in Abuja

Church service abruptly ended at the United Methodist Church in the Durumi area of the Federal Capital Territory as congregants engaged in a serious fight.

The fight, which went on for hours, resulted in damage to some of the church’s property and required intervention from FCT command operatives to bring it under control.

Our correspondent gathered that frantic efforts initially made by the police to stop the fight proved abortive until tear gas was released.

It was further gathered that the police locked the church, dismissed the members, and took some of the elders to the station for interrogation.

A church member, speaking anonymously to our correspondent, expressed displeasure over the conflict, saying that there had been a rift among the church elders concerning the decision to separate from their headquarters in the United States.

The member added that the conflict arose from the church headquarters legalizing practices that are foreign to Nigeria’s culture.

The member said, “Our headquarters is in America and they have legalised some practices that are not part of our culture. Some elders were of the view that we should pull out, and give the church another name. But another set of elders kicked against the move. This created a faction in the church. At a point, they wanted to go to court, but I cannot say why they did not end up going.

“Today, while addressing the church during the service, our pastor announced that they would be heading to the court and expressed his wish that the church remain with the headquarters. That was what instigated the fight. I have never seen such a thing before in my life. The fight was so serious that when the police came they did not stop until they fired teargas. Some of the church elders were taken to the station for interrogation after the whole thing. “

When contacted, the FCT command police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident.

She added that the Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, had invited the church elders to his office on Monday.

Adeh said, “The CP has invited all the church elders to come to the command by 10 am tomorrow.“