A group of youth members from a church in Owerri, Imo State, protested against their pastor by locking the church premises and preventing services from taking place. The protest stemmed from a petition filed by the Odionyenma family concerning the pastor’s use of a traditional staff of authority. The youths claimed the allegations were false and a result of interference from the family.
The President of the church’s youth fellowship stated that the family had been trying to exert influence over the church for some time. He expressed anger over a petition sent to the church’s General Council in Enugu, accusing the pastor of misconduct. The youth leader defended the pastor, denying any wrongdoing and condemning the family’s actions.
The pastor acknowledged the existence of the petition but stated that the matter was in the hands of the church’s leadership and refrained from commenting further. The situation remains unresolved as efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer for Imo State were unsuccessful.