Three priests and no fewer than 20 members of St. James Anglican Church, All Saints Anglican Church and Christ the World Mission in Warri, Delta State were on Easter Sunday, arrested by operatives of the Warri Area Command of the Nigeria Police for flouting the stay-at-home order of the state government.
Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa had imposed a 14-day initial lockdown of the entire state starting from April 1 to 14 ìn order to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus which cases have climbed to three with one fatality.
Two of the erring clerics were identified as Rev. David Nnamani, Vicar of All Saints Church, Airport Road, Warri, Delta, and Rev. Dan Obong, General Overseer of Christ for the World Mission while the identity of the parish priest of St. James Anglican Church, Ojabugbe, could not be ascertained.
The Warri Area Commander of the Nigeria Police, ACP Mohmmaed Muktar Garba, who led the arrest, confirmed the report.
He said “definitely. It is correct. We have arrested three persons or four of them. They’re inside the cell.
“In one of the churches, they had almost 100 people. You can imagine! So, we are going to charge them to court tomorrow.”
The Divisional Police Officer, “B” Division in Warri, CSP Andrew Inidebor, was said to have led his men to apprehend the parish priest of St. James Anglican Church in Warri.
CSP Inidebor said he acted on a tip-off from some leaders in the Okere-Urhobo community that the Anglican priest was conducting Sunday service against the directive of the state government.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the report to journalists via phone.
On his part, the Director-General, Security Matters in Delta State, Hon. David Tonwe, who was part of the team that apprehended the defaulters blamed them for not adhering to the government order.
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While, ACP Garba, who promised to charge the clerics to court for defying the stay-at-home order, said the culprits were already in the police cell at A’ Division.
Speaking on their arrest, two of the pastors, who spoke with journalists, while regretting their action, said they only embarked on a fellowship with neighbours and not a full capacity church.
It could not be ascertained if the action of the clerics stemmed from a misleading circular that purportedly emerged from the stable of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Delta State, Apostle Sylvanus Okorote which urged churches to observe the Easter Resurrection Service for two hours under the strict compliance with other measures to contain COVID-19.
Meanwhile, checks around other parts of Warri revealed that most churches, especially mega ones, such as Sacred Heart Cathedral, St Luke’s Anglican Church along Okere road and churches at Cemetry and Stadium road, Delta were all under lock and keys with security operatives that are effecting the sit-at-home order.
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