There was chaos on Thursday when Odumeje was manhandled by the Anambra State task force over the demolition of his church.
The building which is said to be located along Bida by Creek Road Fegge Onitsha has been a subject of attraction to the successive government in the state, because of its location near Sakamori drainage, a stone throw from Onitsha Main Market.
The first time the Church building attracted government attention for destruction was during the former Governor Peter Obi’s administration, when the Anambra State government embarked on the demolition of structures built along Sakalori drainage, following the havoc caused by erosion in Onitsha.
which was attributed to the blockage of the Sakamori drainage, the water channel through which flood in the Fegge area of the commercial city and other parts of Onitsha flows into the River Niger.
Somehow, the Church was spared from destruction throughout former Governor Obi’s government and that of his successor, former Governor Willie Obiano, whose government was silent on the matter.
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Hiddengist also gathered that a few days after the assumption of office, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, told the authorities of the church to remove part of the building, (not the main Church building) which he said to be an obstruction to the free flow of flood into the River Niger.
However, on Thursday, the Anambra State Task Force invaded the area and demolished the security house of the Church, the structure said to be inhibiting the free flow of flood from Sakamori drainage into River Niger when Odumeje was manhandled by the Anambra State taskforce.
The Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry, Onitsha, also known as “Land of Freedom,” has been tagged, as an “illegal building” by successive governments in the State and earlier marked for demolishing for allegedly encroaching on a wide Sakamori drainage canal.
However contrary to speculation making the rounds, the government task force demolished the small building by the entrance of the Church housing and the generating set, and the security office of the Church.
Hiddengist gathered that when members of the state task force stormed the location on Thursday to enforce the demolition, there was a face-off between them and Prophet Odumeje and other Pastors of the Church who questioned their action.
It was equally gathered that security men tried to whisk Odumeje away when he tried to resist the demolition activities which led to the security agents manhandling him but did not succeed in whisking him away.