By Nahum Sule (Taraba State Correspondent, in Jalingo)
The Conference of Administrative Assistant to the Bishop of the United Methodist Church of Nigeria, Rev Baziel Yoila Yayuba, has debunked, in strong terms, a social media report suggesting that the Bishop of the United Methodist Church, Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna, is using the Nigerian Police Force in Taraba state to harass Clergymen and members of the United Methodist Church in the state.
Rev. Yayuba while reacting to a petition signed by one Rev Musa Lana that claims Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna was using the Police Force in the state to harass and intimidate clergymen and the Laity members of the Church, described the report as untrue.
He said the Nigerian Police Force is a respectful and independent Organization which the Bishop of the United Methodist Church of Nigeria is not a member of, and as such, cannot have an influence on the operations of the police.
"How can they even drag the Nigerian Police into their own misfortune? These were the same set of people who have disconnected themselves from the United Methodist Church when they refused to abide by the discipline of the church by not paying Apportionment and by not conducting charge Conference in the various charges and districts of the church", said Rev. Yayuba.
The Conference Administrative Assistant to the Bishop also said that the same Rev. Musa Lana had, some weeks ago, approached a High Court in Jalingo seeking for the court to stop the Church from holding its 2021 Annual Conference, but the same court granted another experte order to vacate the earlier order.
"The same Rev. Musa Lana and his cohorts have wanted to stop the church from holding the 2021 Annual Conference in all the four conferences of the Church but when they could not succeed in their plots as the Church had concluded the 2021 Annual Conference in all four Conferences in a peaceful atmosphere, they decided to engaged in character assassination of the Bishop and even involving the Nigerian Police Force in Taraba State Command, because their plans failed"
He noted that this was not the first time that Rev. Musa Lana and his group had accused the Bishop of using the Nigerian Police Force to harass members without any proof to their claims.
"This is not the first time these group of people are making this allegations. Some months ago, the same group of people had accused the former Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Azare of conniving with the Bishop to harass the Church clergymen and laity. Shortly after their accusation of the CP Mohammed Azare, he was transferred and replaced with the current Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Shokoya, who have not even spent three months as the new CP Taraba State Command and the same people are now accusing him of harassing the clergymen and Laity of the Church.
"Is the Bishop of United Methodist Church of Nigeria (UMCN) the Inspector General of Police that he will be ordering the Police Force in Taraba State Command to be harassing People? And it was the same group of people who took the Bishop before new the Commissioner of Police. But since their demands were not met they have now decided to accuse the Commissioner of Police of harassment", he said.
Rev. Yayuba however stressed that the Rev. Musa Lana and his group have been under suspension from the church Leadership following their disobedience to the lay down rules and regulations of the church hence their cheap allegations and blackmail to get public sympathy.
He called on the general public and members of the United Methodist Church globally to disregard the petition of the said group as Bishop Johnwesley Yohanna cannot use the police to harass or intimidate any member of the Church. NNL.
