Okorocha Demolishes Strong Tower Bible Church For Preaching Against Book Haram

Members of the Strong Tower Biblical Church, Owerri in Imo State have accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of the state of persecuting the church for condemning his administration’s tolerance of the Boko Haram Insurgents in the state.

The church’s accusation came after the officials of the Imo State Government have demolished Headquarters of Strong Tower Biblical Church, opposite Disney Hotel along Owerri/Onitsha Expressway, Irete, within the Owerri Industrial Layout,
reducing the building to rubles.

According to the general overseer of the church, Rev. Jude Okenwa, information available to the church showed that the demolition of the church was as a result of the sermon he preached on Sunday against the Boko Haram incursion into the state after the foiled bomb attack on Winners’ Chapel church.

He said members of the church who were around during the time of the demolition told him that the statements of the OCDA officials made them believe that their mission was not because of any approval not gotten from them before the church was built, as according to him, the court granted the writ of possession for the land.

Eyewitnesses said the state government officials were led by the general manager of the Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA, Barr. Chima Anozie with the protection ofsome heavily armed policemen.

They were said to have broken into the church around 3.30 pm on Wednesday evening with bulldozers that brought the church down to its foundation.

It was however further gathered that the men of the OCDA carried out the demolition over an allegation that there was no approval for the erection of the church.

The church structures, worth over N50 million, were erected on a 10-plot of
land. The structures comprise an auditorium, offices and residential building.

When our reporter visited the church yesterday, the entire church building was reduced to the ground, while the altar and over 600 plastic upholstery seats were destroyed by the rampaging bulldozers, while a mobile telephone mast was also touched.

Speaking with our reporter on telephone, the OCDA GM, Barr. Chima Anozie, said “there was no approval for the church building and notices had been served to the church asking them to vacate the land, because the land fell within the Industrial Layout”

The OCDA boss, who denied that his men were being used by the governor to persecute the church and it its leader for preaching against Boko Haram insurgency, also said that the agency was doing its job of ensuring that buildings within the capital city followed
the city’s master plan.

He said the church owner went to court to stop the OCDA from carrying out its constitutional duties, saying the court would not stop it as it does not get involved in land disputes.

The church however disputed the claims by the government that it had no approval. A document from Chief Gerald Chino. Aririguzoh of Oracle Chambers, the lawyer to the church’s senior pastor, Rev. Jude. Okenwa, showed that he and his church went into the land by an order of the court.

Speaking on behalf of the pastor, Aririguzo said the church was there as the bonafide owners of the land since 2010 by writ of possession duly signed by Justice Ohakwe who delivered the judgement.

“It was even the court officials that moved out the former occupants of the land, Imo Palm Producers in order for us to move in”, he said.

He disclosed that the state government had approached the pastor severally for him to lease the place to them so that they could still be using it as Imo State Palm Produce, a request he said the pastor refused with a reason that “we are not ready to lease out
the land until our matter is determined on appeal.”

He added that on June 6, 2014, the commissioner for lands, perm sec, the OCDA officials and those of the ministry of lands went into the church again and dropped “contravention notice”.

“They said the church was there without OCDA approval of change of purpose clause. We quickly ran to court three days after on June 9, 2014 to contend that we don’t need approval of change of purpose clause going by the purpose of the release of that place.

When we applied for the release of that place, we stated the reason for which that place will be used when released and government released that land based on that application. We believe that that one is automatic and therefore there is no need requesting for another approval.

“I’m very surprised that the same present administration which preaches rule of law can overlook the processes of the court served on them and proceed to deal with the matter which is before the court by pulling down the church”, he said, adding that this was
what happened in February this year, when the OCDA went there to demolish the church
without any notice.