Alleged arrest of Zimbabwean bishop deepens reported controversy in UMCN

3 weeks ago 2

By Charles Akpeji, Jalingo

26 August 2024 | 1:52 americium

The reported interior strife wrong the United Methodist Church, Nigeria (UMCN) seems to beryllium escalating daily. The improvement is being strengthened by reports that a Zimbabwean bishop with the ministry, Eben Nhiwatiwa, was allegedly arrested successful Yola, Adamawa State, and detained by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

Nhiwatiwa, who The Guardian learned travelled to the state to oversee the predetermination of a caller Nigerian bishop pursuing the resignation of Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, was reported to person been arrested connected Friday, August 23, during a gathering with faithful successful Yola.

In a connection to the media yesterday successful Jalingo, helium stressed the request for the applicable authorities to unafraid the cleric’s contiguous release. Signed by Pastor Salisu Waziri, the connection which quoted the religion arsenic announcing that the cleric had been taken to the NIS office successful Abuja, dismayed his alleged continued detention.

The statement, arsenic noticed by The Guardian, besides suggests that a faction wrong the religion whitethorn beryllium down Nhiwatiwa’s travail, stating: “Despite the bishop possessing each indispensable question documents, helium is inactive being held incommunicado.”

The Nigerian subdivision of the religion has been plagued by divisions since its caller planetary league successful the United States, wherever disagreements arose implicit its stance connected same-sex marriage.

This schism was believed to person led to a powerfulness struggle, peculiarly implicit power of the church’s multi-billion Naira properties dispersed crossed the country, peculiarly successful Taraba State. The authorities authorities connected its part, was observed to person responded swiftly by closing each branches of the religion to forestall imaginable violence.

Tension, astatine the clip of filing this report, remained high, peculiarly successful Taraba, arsenic religion members accused information forces of readying much arrests. Speaking anonymously, an Immigration serviceman confirmed that Bishop Nhiwatiwa was questioned successful Yola earlier being transferred to Abuja.

The Guardian also gathered that Zimbabwean officials person reportedly reached retired to their embassy successful Nigeria to initiate diplomatic discussions regarding Nhiwatiwa’s detention.

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