Religion Reporter- Police in Nigeria are said to have arrested a United Methodist Church (UMC) in Zimbabwe, Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa.
Reports said the cleric was arrested for developments linked to internal tensions within the church.
Nhiwatiwa was detained by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Yola, Adamawa State.
Nhiwatiwa had travelled to the country to oversee the election of a new Nigerian bishop, following the resignation of Bishop John Wesley Yohanna.
The cleric was arrested during a meeting with church members in Yola and taken to the NIS headquarters in Abuja.
In a statement signed by pastor Salisu Waziri and made available to journalists in Jalingo, Taraba State, the church condemned Nhiwatiwa’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.
The church has reportedly been factionalized since the last international conference in the United States, where some members supported same-sex marriage, as reported by the Daily Post.
As of August 25, the Taraba State Government had closed all church branches spread across the state, according to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Charles Maijankai.
This was done to prevent a breakdown of law and order among the members.
There are also allegations of plans to use security operatives to arrest more church members, including pastors.
Added the statement:
Bishop Nhiwatiwa arrived in Yola Town, Adamawa State, the venue for the first meeting with the members of the Southern Nigerian Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria but was on Friday 23 August 2024, whisked away at the venue of the meeting by Nigerian Immigration Service, Adamawa State Command, for questioning.
After several hours of detention in the Yola Immigration office, Bishop Nhiwatiwa was later confined to his hotel with guards before being taken to Abuja on Saturday 24 August 2024 in the company of an Immigration officer to the Immigration Headquarters in Abuja Nigeria’s capital where he is currently detained.
An immigration officer who spoke to the Daily Post on the condition of anonymity said: “only our national headquarters can respond to your question on the bishop in question.”
