Nasarawa Crisis: Youth Wing Threatens To Rename Living Faith Church If…
BY AHMED TUKUR, LAFIA – The crisis between Living Faith Church and some of its pastors has taken a new dimension as the youth wing of the church is threatening to rename the church building if the contentious issues are not urgently resolved.
Accordingly, the Youth Leader of Sisinbaki Living Faith Church in Wamba Local Government Area of Nasarawa state, Manga Joseph Samuel has vowed that if the crises tearing the church apart is not urgently addressed, the church may have to forget having a branch in the area.
Manga Samuel noted that the crisis raging in the branch has created serious problem and therefore called on the General Overseer and President of the Church, Bishop David Oyedebo to quickly intervene and prevent the church from disrepute before the public eyes.
Already the affected pastors and the church have filed different cases before different courts with different jurisdictions. While the pastors filed a suit before an FCT High Court claiming 200 million damages and demanding for a public apology over what they described as wrongful accusation of conspiracy and theft, the Church also dragged the pastors before an Upper Area Court, New Nyanya in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa state for criminal conspiracy and theft.
Manga Samuel, who said the youths may be forced to rename the church to avoid portraying the name of Christ in bad light, called for investigation of those behind the crisis and arrest with a view to bringing the matter before the church authorities for deliberation and possible resolution.
The youth Leader maintained that matters of the Church are best discuss within the system just as he assured that the youths are ready to dialogue with the church management on how to resolve the crisis.
He further said; “We can’t continue overlooking the Church misbehaving any longer. So, if the President of Living Faith Church cannot intervene, then there will be no Living Faith in Wamba Local Government.
“We will go round the community anywhere we see Living Faith Church signboard, we will go and remove it and put another one and have our own church because it is one of our community leader that donated the land.
“They are blackmailing our pastors, They sent police men from Goshen to come and arrest our pastors and it is very bad because church problems are best discussed within the .church,” Manga said.
A church elder in Gwantu area of Kaduna state, Mrs. Phoebe Mande Amwe noted that the crisis is a disgrace and huge set back for the church that has worked so hard to have many souls saved for the kingdom.
The affected Pastors, through Adamu Ahmed Ibrahim and co-Chambers, are alleging that they were unlawfully accused and detained for six days for an offence they knew nothing about.
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Barrister Innocent Lagi said his clients have filed a suit before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for the unlawful detention and breach of their fundamental human right.
Barrister Lagi said the detention of his clients for over six days without trial is an infringement on their human rights, adding that his clients suffered psychological trauma due to the unlawful detention.
Speaking on the matter, Pastor Fred Yough said; “We were invited to Goshen on the pretence that we have a meeting, but to our surprise, we were taken to the police station from the church where we spent over six days before we were released on bail.”