By Vincent Ujumadu
The Anambra State Police Command has explained that the heavy security presence at St. Faith’s Anglican Cathedral, Awka, during a church service conducted by the suspended Archbishop Alexander Ibezim on Sunday was to maintain law and order and prevent a breakdown of peace.
Ibezim, the Anglican Archbishop on the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese, was suspended by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, who directed him to proceed on a six-month leave with immediate effect.
The suspension was announced pending investigations into allegations against Ibezim and recent developments in the diocese.
The Primate also barred Ibezim from officiating at any activity of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Province of the Niger or the Anglican Diocese of Awka during the period of his leave.
The Bishop of Aguata Diocese, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ezeofor, was subsequently directed to oversee the Diocese of Awka and the Archdiocese on the Niger.
However, the Board of the Diocese of Awka has rejected the suspension, threatening to leave the Church of Nigeria and join the Church of England if the Primate insists on enforcing the decision.
Against this backdrop, police operatives were heavily deployed at St. Faith’s Anglican Cathedral, Awka, on Sunday as Ibezim conducted the service.
Reacting to reports about the police presence, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, described some accounts of the deployment as misleading.
Ikenga cautioned against what he called the misrepresentation of security interventions in ways that could heighten tensions surrounding the ecclesiastical dispute.
“The Command wishes to clarify that the deployment of police personnel to any location is guided by the need to maintain law and order, prevent a breakdown of peace, protect lives and property, and ensure the safety of all concerned, irrespective of their affiliations or positions in the dispute,” he said.
He stressed that the police presence should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any party or position in the church disagreement.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains a neutral institution committed to enforcing the law, safeguarding citizens’ rights, and preventing disputes from escalating into threats to public peace and security,” Ikenga added.
The police spokesman urged members of the public to refrain from circulating narratives capable of inflaming tensions or deepening divisions within the religious community.
He assured that the command would continue to discharge its constitutional responsibilities professionally and impartially, without fear or favour.
Ikenga added that the police would not allow any disagreement, whether religious or otherwise, to degenerate into a breach of public peace and security.
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