Police in Taraba State have confirmed the unfortunate deaths of three individuals following a clash between worshippers of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN) and the Global Methodist Church Nigeria(GMCN).
Ekohotblog reports that the incident occurred in the Karim-Lamido Local Government Area on Sunday, reportedly as a culmination of an ongoing dispute between the two congregations according to SP Usman Abdullahi.
The police spokesperson has confirmed that six suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident, and both police officers and soldiers have been deployed to prevent further escalation.
The leadership dispute, which has been ongoing for several years, has caused confusion and division within the church, with both the UMCN and the GMCN claiming control over the 560,000-member Nigerian Episcopal Area.
Investigation revealed that most of the UMCN churches within Jalingo have been taken over by the newly formed GMCN including the sprawling headquarters on Yola Road while the churches in Karim Lamido and Zing LGAs
However the newly elected Bishop of the UMCN, Bishop Emmanuel Ande, has appealed to the Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, to lift the seal on the church’s properties in time for Christmas.
He said this would allow church members to gather and celebrate the holiday in their places of worship.
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