Pastors Arrested For Holding Church Services In Ebonyi
By Joyce Aroh Abakaliki
About seven Pastors have been arrested in Ebonyi State for holding church services contrary to the ban on religious gatherings in the State.
It was gathered that the Pastors were rounded up in their respective churches when the members of the anti-coronavirus taskforce, arrested and handed them over to the police, while members of their churches who were present during the service were also dispersed by the anti-coronavirus taskforce.
The State Commissioner for Border Peace and Internal Security, Mr. Stanley Okoro Emegha, confirmed the arrest of the pastors, adding that they had been handed over to the Police for prosecution.
He said all the religious bodies in Ebonyi State were communicated about the ban on religious gatherings by Government, as part of measures to prevent coronavirus outbreak in the State.
Emegha who noted that religious bodies were supposed to assist the State Government’s efforts in the fight against coronavirus disease, expressed dismay that some of them were violating Government directives.
“I’m aware of the arrest and as I speak with you, they are under police custody. Police may grant them bail because it is a civil matter, but the state government must definitely take them to court. All the religious bodies were communicated through their leadership about the State Government directives and they won’t say, they didn’t hear it”, he said.
