Breaking: Armed men storm Catholic Church, tie security men

The feud between the parishioners of St Martin of Tours Parish and concerned citizens of Ihiala has assumed a dangerous dimension with heavily armed men invading the premises of the church on Thursday night.

Their mission could not be ascertained immediately, but it was gathered that the armed men suspected to be members of the Anambra Vigilante Group were led into the church premises by two Reverend Fathers, one of them the parish priest of a new parish created recently by the Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Most Reverend Jonas Benson Okoye.

An eye witness said that the armed men, who wore black attire and covering their faces, tied the security men guarding the church and dispossessed them of their telephones.

The parish priest of the Church, Rev Fr Val Eze, who was contacted by the Razor, confirmed the Incident, stating that the men were still occupying the church premises as at 9.15pm on Thursday.

He, however, said that the invaders had not approached the residence of the priests, adding ” we are safe in the parish house”.

For the pasy six weeks, the Holy Ghost priests who residing in the parish, have not been celebrating Masses in Nnewi Diocese as the Bishop had revoked their faculty.

The Bishop of the Diocese had accused the Holy Ghost Fathers of not cooperating with the Diocese in resolving certain issues, including attempts to create new parishes out of St Martin’s and payment to the owners of the land acquired by the church.

Vanguard