COVID-19: Seven pastors arrested in Ebonyi for conducting service

No fewer than seven pastors were arrested in Ebonyi State for disobeying the government ban on religious gathering and other forms of gathering in the state on Sunday.

The state Commissioner for Border Peace and Internal Security, Mr. Stanley Okoro Emegha, disclosed the arrest of the pastors in a telephone interview.

According to him, the pastors were arrested in their churches across the state by the members of COVID-19 task force.

Emegha also disclosed that the members of their churches present during the service were dispersed by the task force before the arrest.

The commissioner, who confirmed that the pastors had been handed over to the police for prosecution said the religious ban by government is part of measures to prevent coronavirus in the state. He frowned on the disobedience of the pastors even after all the religious bodies in the state were communicated.

He urged the religious bodies to assist the state government’s efforts in the fight against coronavirus by obeying Government directives.

“I’m aware of the arrest and as I speak with you, they are under police custody. The state government must definitely take them to court. All the religious bodies were communicated through their leadership about the government directives, so we don’t know why they disobeyed the directive,” he said.  (Nigerian Tribune)