The youth leader of Orji Community in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, Prince Akakem has disclosed that the demolition of the auditorium of the Higherlife Generation Church, Orji, Owerri was carried out on the instruction of a Commissioner of Police (CP).
Akakem told a popular broadcaster, Theodore Chinonso Ubah that the CP who lives in Abuja but hails from the Orji Community had to take the action after all entreaties to the Resident Pastor of the church, Emmanuel Samuel to vacate failed to yield fruits.
He disclosed that the land was given to the church to use free of charge pending when the owner, who is resident abroad would have need for it.
The youth leader further disclosed that at a point the pastor began to erect a dwarf wall and mounted iron pillars on the land.
According to him, when he was confronted by the caretaker, the pastor promised he would dismantle the dwarf walls and iron pillar whenever the owner wanted repossession of the land.
Akakem added that the pastor expressed interest in buying the land when the owner put it up for sale.
He said both the owner and the pastor settled for N35million which the cleric could not pay within a one year period given to him to pay.
According to the youth leader, the owner later found a buyer who made an effective demand which happened to be the police commissioner.
He stated that the commissioner of police has pleaded with the church to pack out to no avail resulting in his resort to self-help.
Akakem added that the pastor and his wife had to be dragged out of the church for attempting to impede the demolition exercise on the fateful day.
Meanwhile, a group, Defender of Human Rights and Access to Justice Foundation, DHRAJF has condemned the demolition of the church without following due process.
The convener of the group, Bright Eluagu described the manhandling of the pastor and his wife as ‘a brazen act of human rascality’.
