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“I’m leaving the Catholic church because Bishop Onah is oppressing me,” says Okunerere
A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr Paul Obinna Obayi popularly known as Okunerere, has said he would leave the church soon due to oppression he duffers from the Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Geofrey Onah.
In a 30-minute video he posted on social media, the director of the Okunere Adoration Ministry reeled out accusations against Bishop Onah, saying he has suffered so much in the Bishop’s hand and that it was time he left the church
He said- “The church is my vineyard, I love the church, I love my Nsukka (Catholic) church, I love the bishop, I love the priests, I love them, but they are oppressing me.
“I was looking for a land where I will conduct my adoration but couldn’t find. I rented a place behind Queens College Nsukka and started my adoration there. Bishop Onah chased me out of the place, saying I was causing noise and distracting the Students of Queens.
“The past governor of Enugu State, Gburugburu gave me this piece of land I’m staying in now. I told the bishop that I have a land and I took him there to see the land. When he came, he then said that the land is fine to be used to build the Marian Shrine. I told him it’s my adoration ministry I want to start here and not Marian Shrine. He said I shouldn’t talk about it again. It is the same land that the bishop gave out to the church without consulting me, without any discussion.
“I give everything to the church, yet the church wants to strangle me to death. But it can’t happen!
“I bought and installed the best transformer in the cathedral of Nsukka Diocese which they’re using till today.
“Bishop Onah mandated me to build a museum where I would keep the deities I remove from villages. I spent 2.8m to build the museum upstairs inside the cathedral and reported to my bishop. The only ‘thank you’ I got my bishop was that he asked me where did I get the money to build it when he has banned me from selling olive oil. Yet, I endured it.
“At Obimo, I got a land to build my adoration ministry. It’s a mountain. I spent more than 50m to level the place and create roads, then built a 30 room self con house there. The church collected it from me and I surrendered it. Kidnappers are using that building today to keep their victims because the church isn’t using it till today after collecting it from me. Bishop Onah said he wants to use the place as Nsukka Diocesan Pilgrimage Centre.
“I was posted to Obollo where I spent 10 million to build a church. Bishop Onah came to dedicate it and on the day of the dedication, everybody present were acknowledged but they refused to acknowledge me, Fr Obayi who built the church. Just after 2 months of dedicating the church, the bishop transfered me to Ikem, where everybody knows that the roads there are filled with kidnappers.
“I was an associate professor but no one in the Diocese ever announced me as associate professor, but those priests who became associate professors yesterday are recognized by the Diocese but I was ignored till today.
“It got to the point that fellow priests broke my gate just to take my land, they said they were sent.
“On bishop Onah’s Episcopal ordination, I supplied drinking water free to everybody in attendance.
“The oppressing is too much. Priests are avoiding coming to my adoration because if they see any priest in my adoration, during posting, they will post the priest in a far away village beyond Adani in Uzo Uwani LGA.
“I have been inviting the bishop to my adoration but he refused coming, saying he doesn’t understand what we are doing here.
“If Charismatic draft a programme and include my name as a guest priest, when they take it to the Diocese for approval, the authorities will tear the programme on seeing my name there. They would ask the Charismatic why should they invite Fr Okunerere. For 10 years now, I have not attended any charismatic programme because the church authorities won’t permit me.
“Bishop Onah stopped me from going to London to preach, saying that I would go there to preach heresy. I asked him, before you became my bishop, I had attended 10 different programmes in London where I preached. Is it now you’re my bishop that I will preach heresy?
“The church refused to give me land for my adoration, and the one given to me by the government, the church wants to collect it from me.
“Since the church doesn’t want me again, I am leaving the Catholic church any moment from now. I can’t kill myself”.
Several candidates recently shortlisted for recruitment into the Nigerian Army from Imo State have sustained varying degrees of injuries after the vehicle conveying them to the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria, Kaduna State, was involved in a road accident on Saturday.
The candidates were said to be travelling to the training institution to commence their basic military training when the accident occurred.
Military sources familiar with the incident disclosed that the journey was being coordinated under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel P.D. Ngal.
A military source said the victims had successfully passed the recruitment process and were heading to the Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria to begin their recruit training before the accident disrupted the journey.
“The candidates from Imo State were on their way to the Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria to begin their recruit training when the accident happened this morning,” the source said.
Videos seen by our correspondent showed several injured candidates lying by the roadside and inside damaged vehicles as emergency responders and other travellers made frantic efforts to evacuate them.
Many of the injured candidates were subsequently rushed to nearby hospitals for medical attention.
As of the time of filing this report, the exact cause of the accident and the number of casualties had yet to be officially confirmed.
Benue State Police Command has condemned the killing of the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue State chapter, Ardo Rabo Mohammed, and another man, Yakubu Isa, describing the attack as a senseless criminal act capable of undermining ongoing peace and security efforts in the state.
The victims were reportedly attacked by gunmen while returning from a security meeting along the Okwudu-Ogoli Road in Otukpo Local Government Area.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus C.N. Nwadiogbu, condemned the killings and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
“The Commissioner of Police strongly condemns in its entirety the brutal killing of the Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue State chapter, Ardo Rabo Mohammed, and one Yakubu Isa, who were reportedly attacked by unknown assailants while returning from a security meeting along Okwudu-Ogoli Road, Otukpo,” the statement read.
According to the police, the command has commenced a full-scale investigation into the incident, with tactical and intelligence teams deployed to track down those responsible.
The Commissioner assured residents that the command would leave no stone unturned in ensuring the perpetrators are identified, arrested and prosecuted.
He appealed to members of the public to remain calm, avoid taking the law into their own hands, and refrain from spreading unverified information capable of escalating tensions.
The police also urged anyone with credible information that could aid the investigation to report to the nearest police station or contact the command through its emergency lines.
Three bandits have been arrested in Benue state after a lady who they had kidnapped and released, identified them at a motor park and raised alarm.
The k!kidnappers came to Ihotu park to board a vehicle to Makurdi and were met by the lady they had earlier kidnapped and released after collecting ransom from her relatives.
They were even using a bag they collected from the girl. The girl raised the alarm, held one inside the vehicle, and two took to their heels, but were caught.
They had a ghana-must-go bag at the back of the vehicle. N11m was found inside the bag.
Following the confirmation of their identity by another lady who was also their victim, mob gathered around with the intent to beat them up and possibly set them ablaze.
But the park manager decided to invite the police and soldiers who rescued them and took them to their station.
It was later gathered that the Benue state Governor, Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia called and said he was interested in the case which made the police to take the apprehended bandits to Makurdi, the state capital.
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