Police Seal Abuja Church After Violent Clash During Service

A church service at the United Methodist Church in the Durumi area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) turned chaotic on Sunday, leading to a violent clash among congregants. The altercation, which lasted for several hours, resulted in significant damage to the church’s property and necessitated police intervention to restore order.

According to eyewitnesses, the FCT command operatives initially struggled to contain the situation, as their efforts to disperse the crowd were unsuccessful. The police were eventually forced to deploy tear gas to quell the violence. Following the unrest, the police locked the church, dispersed the congregation, and detained several elders for questioning.

A member of the church, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that the conflict stemmed from a longstanding rift among church elders regarding the congregation’s relationship with their headquarters in the United States. The disagreement reportedly arose after the U.S. headquarters legalized practices that some members deemed incompatible with Nigerian cultural values. This led to a faction within the church, with some elders advocating for a split from the U.S. headquarters and a rebranding of the church under a new name, while others opposed the move.

“The issue has been brewing for some time,” the church member explained. “Our pastor’s announcement during today’s service, stating that the church would proceed to court over the matter, triggered the fight. It escalated quickly, and the situation was so intense that the police had to use tear gas to control it. I’ve never seen anything like it. Some of the elders were taken to the police station for questioning.”

Confirming the incident, FCT Police Public Relations Officer SP Josephine Adeh stated that the Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, has summoned all the church elders for a meeting at the command headquarters on Monday at 10 a.m.

“The CP has invited all the church elders to discuss the incident and find a way forward,” Adeh said.