By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has explained that its presence at the Cathedral Church of St. Faith, Awka, on Sunday was aimed at maintaining law and order and preventing any breakdown of peace amid the ongoing dispute rocking the Anglican Diocese of Awka.
The Command made the clarifications while reacting to reports surrounding the deployment of its personnel to the Cathedral, while also cautioning against portraying the security presence as support for any side in the dispute.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 19, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, described reports concerning the police presence at the cathedral as misleading, warning that the misrepresentation of security interventions could heighten tensions within the religious community.
Ikenga explained that police personnel were deployed to locations based on the need to maintain public order, prevent possible disturbances, protect lives and property, and ensure the safety of everyone concerned, irrespective of their affiliations or positions in the dispute.
He stressed that the presence of police officers at the cathedral should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any party or position in the ecclesiastical disagreement.
According to the police spokesman, the Nigeria Police Force remains a neutral institution committed to enforcing the law, protecting citizens’ rights and preventing disputes from escalating into threats to public peace and security.
The command also urged media organisations, social media users and other stakeholders to verify information before publishing or sharing reports about the incident.
It cautioned against narratives capable of inflaming tensions or deepening divisions within the religious community, urging responsible reporting as the dispute continues.
The police further assured residents of Anambra State that the command would continue to discharge its constitutional responsibilities professionally and impartially, without fear or favour.
It warned that it would not allow disagreements, whether religious or otherwise, to degenerate into a breach of public peace and security.
The clarification comes amid the ongoing dispute over the leadership of the Anglican Diocese of Awka, following the directive of the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, placing the Archbishop of the Province of the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim, on six months’ compulsory leave and appointing the Bishop of Aguata Diocese, Right Reverend Samuel Ezeofor, to oversee Awka Diocese during the period.
The Awka Diocesan Board, however, rejected the directive and Ezeofor’s appointment, insisting that Ibezim remains in office and directing church organs to remain loyal to him.
These were followed by public anticipation of what could transpire at the cathedral last Sunday and who would officiate the service, given the barring of Archbishop Ibezim from officiating any service or activities in the church.
It was ahead of the highly-anticipated Sunday service that the operatives of the Anambra State Police Command and the operatives of the state-owned Operation Udo Ga-Achị mobilized to the Cathedral, to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.
The police statement, however, did not identify any particular report or publication it considered misleading and specific reasons it considered it misleading.
