Delta: The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, Benin City Edo State Mr. Musa Dara, has assured members of the Sapele Diocese Anglican Communion and the general public that there is hope and end in sight for the lingering crisis that has engulfed the body of Christ earlier this year as he constituted 11man committee headed by the Bishop of Warri diocese Rt. Rev. Ide C.E to resolve the crisis within a given time frame.
The AIG who listened carefully to complaints of all parties involved in the crisis from day one at the conference hall of zone 5, when the youth of St. Luke Cathedral Boyo Road Sapele, commenced the protest of “Bishop Erifeta must go” on the ground of corruption and others came to the conclusion that there is need for the issues raised to be resolved for members of the church to continue their worship as he set up a panel from the clergy, some members of the church including the police to tackle the matter once and for all for peace to reign.
The police Boss was also alleged to have quarried the Arch Bishop of the Bendel Province Arch Bishop Imakhai who is overseeing 13 dioceses for failing to address the imbroglio at its inception, as he advised members including the clergies not to trade words with each other over flimsy cases of kidnapping, attempt to kill but to address the main issues at stake which was corruption allegation maladministration, refusal of Bishop Erifeta to remit 8 million diocese corporative money back to the church e.t.c. which the members of the diocese “Rescue group” demanded.
The source close to the police added that the AIG accused the Bishop (Erifeta) for failing to render Account of the diocese to the members upon demand, after both parties had bared their minds on their grievances, and as well told them that nobody is above the law of Nigeria when the Archbishop stated that no one has the Right and powers to remove Bishop Ereifeta.
He (AIG) assured the public and members of the church that the case will be decided upon without bias and promptly to all parties involved especially since it is a matter that has to do with the church, while commending the members who came all the way from Sapele diocese including the clergies in their large numbers to proffer peace to their church for their maturity, urging them to pray fervently for God to intervene, stressing that he believe in God for his direction in all situation appealing to the public to have confidence and trust on Nigeria Police.
The people of Sapele diocese present at the Zone five were happy that Rt. Rev. C.E. Ide the Bishop of Warri diocese was chosen as the chairman to head the committee set up to investigate the matter since they believed the outcome will be beneficial to both parties at the end having known him as an upright man of God before they left Warri Diocese to Sapele Diocese.
Reacting to the committee setup, Bishop Ide commended the AIG for his wisdom and the opportunity given to him to handle the matter assuring that the truth will prevail at the end.
Meanwhile the members have earlier sent a petition letter to the Inspector General of Police Abuja against their Bishop, Rt. Rev.(Dr.) B.A Erifeta(JP) and others on the ground of the above charges where he was quizzed for hours at the same Zone 5, before a date was arrived at which resulted at the constitution of the 11man panel.
Bishop Erifeta according to sources close to the church was alleged to have arrived in Zone 5, Nigeria Police Benin City after more than a week of invitation immediately he got wing of his planned arrest by the police who sought a warrant of arrest for turning down their
earlier invitation for questioning concerning the allegations made against him and others by “The Rescue Group” of the church but was later let out of the police dragnet after his statement was obtained
In a petition letter written to the Inspector General of Police by members of the Rescue group of the Sapele Diocese Anglican Communion through their lawyer, Barrister Jonathan Ekperusi of the Excellence Solicitors and a legal practitioners and consultants service, Effurun- Warri, Delta State, states that members of the Rescue group of the Sapele Anglican Diocese, who are 12 in number which are their Chief Clients on whose instructions they wrote the petition to the Police-States that the petition is in relation to the threat to the life of their clients, threat to kidnap
of their clients and the massive fraud being perpetrated on the Sapele Diocese of the church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion by Rt. Rev. (Dr.) Avweraferi Erifeta (JP) (Bishop of the Diocese) Mrs. C.T. Erifeta (Wife to the Bishop and Chairman Mother’s union), Mr. Churchill Akure (Diocese Publicity Secretary) and others, over the administration of
the finances and business of the Diocese
In a suit No. OUHC/161/2015, through his lawyer Barrister V.O. Afure, of the All While Chambers Effurun, the Bishop of the Diocese, Sapele Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. B.A. Erifeta (JP) has entered into an Ex-Parte Motion at the Udu Judicial Division Holden at Otor- Udu, Delta State demanding the sum of N10,000,000.00 against members
of the Sapele Diocese and Rescue group being damages for alleged harassment, intimidation, humiliation, threat to kill, Harm and/or Injury to Applicants members.
In a counter- Affidavit to the affidavit in support of the Applicants Motions on Notice Dated 14th September, 2015, entered into by one Faith Ese Efemena Secretary to the Law firm of Excellence solicitors on behalf of rescue group, it states that contrary to paragraph 6 and others of the Affidavit of the Bishop, the 6 years leadership of the clergy has been characterized with problems, resulting in protest and reduction in the membership of the church in the Diocese, noting that the dictatorial leadership style of the Bishop dated back to when he assumed leadership as a Bishop of the Diocese.
