Catholic Church charges Mbaka, followers to atone desecration

Calls for seven days prayer fasting from today

The Catholic Church in Enugu State has accused Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka and his followers of desecrating the holy altar and called for prayer of atonement and reparation on those that undertook the action. Mbaka is a Catholic priest and Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN).

Tension grew in Enugu on Wednesday when followers of the fiery priest poured into the streets after they declared him “missing”. They marched from the Adoration Ground in Emene to the Bishop’s Court at Independence Layout, where they destroyed some parts of the building. From the Bishop’s house, they moved to the Holy Ghost Cathedral and destroyed window louvres, doors, the bishop’s office, a bookshop, guesthouse, two buildings, four big water tanks and other facilities.

Some workers at the Cathedral sustained injuries during the attack. When Mbaka later appeared, he told his followers that he would have been kept incommunicado by the bishop for 30 days, but for their protest.

“They ordered me to leave the Adoration Ground for 30 days, to be silent for 30 days and to leave Enugu. Their plan was to even send me to Rome after 30 days. I asked them why I was being punished, they cannot tell me. They are angry that I blessed Nnamdi Kanu. I am a priest of God and nobody can tell me whom to bless. Is it your blessing? Are you the one giving him life? Go and take away God’s blessings from him.

“If you said I spoke against the government, is there no insecurity in the country? Are they angry that I said the government should provide jobs for the youths? I am a priest of God and I will continue to bless and speak the truth,” Mbaka said.

But Bishop Callistus Onaga called on all parishes, chaplaincies and religious houses in the Catholic Diocese of Enugu to embark on prayer and fasting for the atonement on those who attacked the church.

In a statement yesterday, Onaga said: “On May 5, 2021, the followers of Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry Enugu, Nigeria violently broke into the diocesan cathedral and desecrated the holy altar of sacrifice. Over and above this, they brutally vandalised the diocesan bishop’s residence, the cathedral parish house and the secretariat building complex.

“Therefore, I hereby call for one week union of prayer for atonement of this heinous act against our central place of worship and the sanctity of the Church. The prayer begins from Friday, May 7.”

Meanwhile, Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, yesterday visited the damaged bishop’s residence, Holy Ghost Cathedral and the Adoration Ministry premises to ascertain the situation of things.