In a video seen by SaharaReporters on Monday, over seven operatives of the Nigerian Police Force attached to the Anambra State Command stormed a community town hall in Nkpor near Onitsha, where crowd gathered to arrest Ezeaku.
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested Mathias Ezeaku, a traditional religion preacher in Anambra State for criticising one Pastor Ebuka Obi who claimed he (Obi) had fasted for 50 days without food.
In a video seen by SaharaReporters on Monday, over seven operatives of the Nigerian Police Force attached to the Anambra State Command stormed a community town hall in Nkpor near Onitsha, where crowd gathered to arrest Ezeaku.
The policemen had also shot one person on the thigh and left him bleeding profusely.
Ezeaku, who operates a traditional worship centre, has been critical of the Christian religion and some pastor who make boastful claims. He has criticised several pastors, referring to them as fake.
The preacher was arrested on Sunday morning by men in police uniforms as he arrived at his worship centre.
A video trending on social media showed Ezeaku resisting arrest, and his members also putting up stiff resistance.
The incident led to sporadic gunshots by the operatives. One of the members of the centre was shot in the thigh.
A message which Ezeaku had posted on his Facebook handle early on Sunday morning, urged his members to join him for worship, and it read: “Don’t forget to join us today as we adore and uplift the name of our ancestors and creator Chukwuokikeabiama.
“Time is 9am at Amafor Town Hall Nkpor opposite New Type Market Enugu Onitsha Expressway.”
Some members of the centre protested the arrest of Ezeaku, marching to Police Annex in Awkuzu, where they identified some of the operatives involved in the operation. They decried the arrest, saying that the operatives could not show any arrest warrant or even identify themselves properly.
SaharaReporters, however, reliably gathered on Monday morning that Mathias Ezeaku had been taken to Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he is currently being detained.
According to sources, his arrest was orchestrated by pastors he had been criticising over their fake miracles.
"He said it’s impossible for Ebuka Obi to fast for 50 days without food and also said he should provide the blind person he said he healed. They even shot someone while trying to arrest him yesterday. He's at Force CID. Same place Jeremiah put Kassy. He's exposing their fake miracles," one of the sources told SaharaReporters.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters’ efforts to speak with the Anambra State Police Command were unsuccessful as the Command's Spokesperson DSP Tochukwu Ikenga could not be reached at the time of filing this report.