EDO: Irate youths beat pastor, church members for defying order by chief priest

Pandemonium struck in the Urora community in Edo State, when irate youths stormed the City of God Rest Ministry, beating the pastor and members of the church for allegedly violating the community’s chief priest.

Reports say the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Destiny Eguavoen, who was preaching, on Sunday, before the attack was beaten to a pulp while members of the church ran in different directions for safety.

The chief priest of the community and Ohen Ugbodeyaen of Urora, Chief Ugiagbe Aiwaguore, had directed owners of churches and shops in the community and residents to stay indoors from 8:00 am during the celebration of the annual Ikpoleki festival.

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According to Pastor Eguavoen, they were in the church when he saw a man standing in the front pointing at him a few minutes after 9am but he told his church members to concentrate and let him finish the service, but other youths stormed in and started beating everyone in sight.

He said: “They said we did not comply with their directive. They told us to conduct our services between 6am and 8am, but we pastors met and said Sunday is a day of our worship and there was no way they could stop us”.

The incident was confirmed by the spokesman of the Edo State Police Command DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, who informed that the matter was being investigated.

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