Ahiara Diocese Crisis: Police invade cathedral, arrest priests, shoot tear gas at faithful

Ahiara Diocese Crisis: Police invade cathedral, arrest priests, shoot tear gas at faithful 

The Ahiara Mbaise cathedral was on Saturday, July 2nd held hostage by policemen who launched several canisters of tear gas inside the cathedral and also shot sporadically at some worshippers within the cathedral premises.

Our reporter who witnessed the scene filed in a report that catholic faithful of Ahiara diocese including the women, men and youths gathered at the cathedral to pray for peace in the diocese and also to disassociate themselves from the rumored visit of the national President of the Christian women organization, (CWO) and other diocesan CWO heads across the country who as alleged are coming to the area to protest against the priests of Mbaise for not accepting Bishop Okpaleke. 

The CWO heads we gather were to visit the St. Rose’s parish Ihitte, a strong hold of the few that accepted Bishop Okpaleke. Our reporter filed in that the lay faithful of Ahiara clad in black were gathered at the cathedral observing rosary procession and singing hymns when the policemen numbering over 50 broke the gate of the cathedral, rushed into the cathedral premises and arrested a lot of people, including priests who they whisked away to an unknown destination as at the time of filling in this report. Others who ran into the Bishop’s residence were smoked out with tear gas and also arrested. 

Our reporter filed in that many people sustained various degrees of injury in the process. 

Efforts made to reach the president of the priests association of the diocese proved abortive as he was said to be indisposed.

Meanwhile, few people who spoke to our reporter under anonymity condemned the invasion by the police describing it as an attack on innocent and armless worshipers. Others say the police action has desecrated the church. 

Our findings reveal that the pro Okpalekes seem to be creating a parallel diocese with their headquarters at the St. Rose’s parish Ihitte where they hold their meetings and also dispense briefings while the majority occupy the cathedral that was attacked.

-MbaiseMouthpiece