A church service at the United Methodist Church in Durumi, Federal Capital Territory, ended abruptly after congregants engaged in a violent altercation.
The conflict, which lasted for hours, caused significant damage to church property and necessitated intervention by FCT command operatives.
Initial attempts by the police to quell the fight were unsuccessful until tear gas was deployed. Following the chaos, the police locked the church, dispersed the members, and took several elders to the station for questioning.
An anonymous church member revealed that the conflict stemmed from disagreements among church elders over the decision to separate from their U.S. headquarters.
The member cited issues with the headquarters’ practices, which were seen as incompatible with Nigerian culture.
The member said, “Our headquarters is in America and they have legalised some practices that are not part of our culture. Some elders were of the view that we should pull out, and give the church another name. But another set of elders kicked against the move. This created a faction in the church. At a point, they wanted to go to court, but I cannot say why they did not end up going.
“Today, while addressing the church during the service, our pastor announced that they would be heading to the court and expressed his wish that the church remain with the headquarters. That was what instigated the fight. I have never seen such a thing before in my life. The fight was so serious that when the police came they did not stop until they fired teargas. Some of the church elders were taken to the station for interrogation after the whole thing. “
When reached for comment, FCT police spokesperson Josephine Adeh confirmed the incident.
She also noted that Commissioner of Police Bennett Igweh has scheduled a meeting with the church elders for Monday.
Adeh stated, “The CP has invited all the church elders to report to the command at 10 a.m. tomorrow.”
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