TENSION IN LAGOS AS PROTESTERS DISRUPT ANGLICAN CHURCH SERVICE

LAGOS, Nigeria – The crisis rocking the Diocese of the Lagos Anglican Communion deepened with a serious protest during the Good Friday Easter service at the Church of Christ on Marina, Lagos. The information was said to have caused serious tension in all the parishes of the church in Lagos. The church service had started at about 9:00 am with the hymn and followed by the prayers.  The Bishop of Lagos Diocese and Dean Emeritus of the Anglican Church at the Marina, Most Rev. Adebola Ademowo, as a statutory duty, was to deliver the day’s sermon. 

However, as he was entering the church, Ademowo was greeted by a serious protest by some elders and members of the church who were against him and his role in the succession plan. They protested against the election and translation of the Rt. Reverend Humphrey Olumakaye as the new Bishop of the Lagos Diocese,  overseeing the Church of Christ, Marina. 

The protesters promised their anger on the fact that Olumakaye was recently translated from the Osun East Diocese to Lagos and was billed to take over from Ademowo.  The protesters were led by a popular Lagos politician, Chief Yomi Finnih who also doubled as their Spokesperson. The placards bore inscriptions such as “Enough is Enough…no to looting of Lagos Diocese”, “No to Bishop looter”. “No to women organisation looting”. 

An Indication that something unusual was in the offing was noticed early in the morning through the condoning off of the Marina Road which was occupied by several members of the Lagos security outfit, the Neighbourhood Watch and the unusual huge presence of policemen in and around the church  premises.  

Shortly after Ademowo delivered his sermon, an unidentified member of the church walked towards the altar and angrily threw copies of a published document detailing AdemowoI’s sins and walked out.  The Marina Road stretch was closed to traffic for several hours while the protest lasted. The protest also affected proceedings at the church as members were seen discussing the development and the way forward. 

Many of the elders and members of the church had through several letters to the Primate of the Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, rejected Olumakaye’s election on the grounds that it was an imposition by the outgoing Ademowo to “cover his tracks” in an election they also criticised to have been influenced by distribution of huge sums of money. 

They have also accused Ademowo in a letter to Primate Okoh dated February 26 2018, alleging that his tenure was “a period of disaster filled with economic and financial recklessness.”

The protest letter was signed by eminent elders including Asiwaju Fola Isibo, Mr. Modupe Alakija, Chief Femi Adeniyi Williams and Chief Layi Ajayi-Bembe. Others are Mrs Laide Sasegbon, Mrs. Dupe Sagoe, Mr. Ade Abisogun,  Mr. Bukola Meadows and Ms Molara Otuyelu.