Festival: Edo youths beat pastor for preaching on Sunday

Youths of Urora community in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, on Sunday, beat the General Overseer of the City of God Rest Ministry, Pastor Destiny Eguavoen, to a pulp.

The youth beat Eguavoen for allegedly flouting the community’s order to stop church service before 8a.m. on the fateful day

The Chief Priest of the community, Chief Ugiagbe Aiwaguore, the Ohen Ugbodeyaen of Urora, had ordered owners of shops in the community and residents to stay indoors for the celebration of the annual Ikpoleki festival.

All churches were also asked to end their Sunday service before 8a.m.

But the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Oyenude Kure, kicked against the order, saying that the order violated the freedom of worship as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.

Kure asked churches in Urora to go about their normal church service on Sunday.

He said the restriction on movement was unacceptable to the church as the Body of Christ.

It was learnt that youths of the community moved from street to street to ensure compliance as shops were closed and some churches hurriedly ended their service.

Many residents of the community were indoors.

At the City of God Rest Ministry, the youth were peeved that the pastor was still preaching as at 9a.m. They disrupted the service.

Members of the church scampered for safety as the youth used chairs to beat anybody in sight.

Speaking with our correspondent on the phone, Eguavoen said he was badly injured during the attack.

The cleric, who said he was at the police headquarters, said the leadership of CAN had promised to take over the matter.

He said: “We were in the church and I saw a man standing in the front, pointing at me. It was a few minutes past nine. I told my members to concentrate for me to round up service but the youth stormed in and started beating us.

“They said we did not comply with their directive. They told us to open church between 6a.m. and 8a.m.  But we pastors met and said Sunday is a day of our worship and there is no way they can stop us.”

The spokesman for the community, Sunday Osagiede, said they gave churches time within which to open service on the day of the Ikpoleki festival.

The chief priest said all the pastors agreed to hold service between 8a.m. and 9a.m.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, said the matter was being investigated.