Five pastors arrested for ‘flouting lockdown order’ in Ebonyi

The Ebonyi State COVID-19 Taskforce on
Sunday arrested five pastors in Afikpo North
and Ohaukwu local government areas for
allegedly holding Sunday church services in
breach of the state’s lockdown order.
In Afikpo North, the task force led by the
Technical Assistant to the State Governor,
Otu Unyanma, confirmed the arrest of the
Pastor of Dynamic Faith Church for allegedly
violating the order.
Others arrested at Ohaukwu local
government area were the officiating
ministers of Church of Christ Agbaba,
Ascension Church Agbaba, Methodist
Church, Otuokpeye and Methodist Church in
Ndegu-Eshi.
The task force team in Ohaukwu acting on a
tip-off stormed the said churches and
arrested the pastors and officiating priests.
It was gathered that the four officiating
ministers have been handed over to the DPO,
Ohaukwu Division, and will be arraigned on
Monday.
There was, however, a mild drama at Amike-
Abba in Ebonyi Local Government Area as the
pastor of a Pentecostal church located in a
school building and his members took to their
heels on sighting members of the COVID-19
task force team.
It was gathered that immediately the team
stormed the school premises, the pastor, his
wife and other members of the church
numbering over 30 took to their heels to
escape arrest.
The team locked the premises and directed
that such service must not be held in the
church again until a directive lifting the
lockdown.