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Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Sunday, stormed St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Ekwulobia in Aguata local government area, where Governor Willie Obiano was worshipping and tried to disrupt the service.
Recall IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, had declared that the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra will not hold.
According to media reports, the governor had hardly settled down in the church when some youth, including women, overwhelmed the premises of the church, chanting Biafra songs and shouting, “No election in Anambra State “, “We want referendum”, and “No referendum, no election”.
They reportedly forced their way through the gate, trying to gain entrance.A worshipper at the church said: “As these IPOB members continued their confrontation with the police, their numbers continued to increase. I think they were reinforcing from Onitsha and before we knew what was happening, the area was full of IPOB people.”
A worshipper at the church said. “As these IPOB members continued their confrontation with the police, their numbers continued to increase. ”
He said, “It is not true that the governor was smuggled out of the church. What happened was that the security men had to stop the agitators at the gate of the church when they started shouting “no election, no election.
“The governor even addressed the issue while speaking to the congregation by assuring Anambra people that there will be an election in the state in November.
The Anambra State Police Commissioner Garba Umar who confirmed the incident warned that the police would no longer tolerate such “impunity”.
He said, “You, press people should report this and that is that we will no longer tolerate this impunity from anybody.
“Why should they protest to the church? The church is a place of worship and not a place of protest. It is obvious that they had criminal intention to attack the governor.
“The police had to stop them at the gate. If they had dared my men; it would have been a different story. We can’t watch anybody breach public peace in this state. They should be warned to desist from this impunity”.
About two weeks ago, a group of youth suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra had allegedly disrupted a church function attended by the governorship candidate of the Progressives Peoples Alliance, Godwin Ezeemo.
The conflict happened at Odoekpe, Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state.