No fewer than Sixteen traditional places of worship have been destroyed in Anambra State, allegedly by the Roman Catholic Church. Other Churches Anglican and Pentecostal Churches have been accused in past of such acts.
The destruction took place at Igbokwe, Ekwulobia and
environs in Aguata LGA of the state.
Reacting to the mayhem, 17 civil society organizations in
the South East warned the Churches to “desist from such acts or face mass
action.”
They described the actions of the churches as “barbaric and
a violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on freedom
of religion.”
The groups maintained that venerated places of worship
should be sacred, vowing to drag churches found guilty to court henceforth.
Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, the chairman of Board of
Trustees of International Society of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Mr. Emeka
Umeagbalasi, accused the Catholic, Anglican and Pentecostal churches of
“culpability in the act.”
He said, “During the attacks, sacred places of worship
belonging to the Traditional Worshipers and their symbols of worship —
including sacred altars, artifacts and diviners’ objects — are targeted for
burning, destruction or confiscation; under stigmatization and false labeling
of all traditional religions, their worshippers and sacred places of worship as
‘satanism and evil doers.’
“A clear case in point was the attack and violence directed
at the said worshipers and their sacred institutions in Igboukwu, Ekwulobia
and other communities in Anambra State.
“The attacks, which took place between 1am and 4.30am,
affected properties, artifacts, walls and roofing belonging to the 16
traditional sacred places of worship.
Tension in Ekwulobia as CSO accuses Catholic Church of destroying 16 shrines in Anambra
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Monday, March 05, 2018
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