Lockdown Violation: Police arrest 6 pastors in Delta 

The Police in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State has arrested 6 pastors  for allegedly violating the sit-at-home order of the state government.

The pastors from different denominations were nabbed by the Nigeria Police Force for holding church services against the social distance order to check the spread of the dreadful COVID-19 pandemic.

Recall that on the 1st of April, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had ordered a total lockdown across the state, prohibiting gathering of any kind, including worship centers.

Some churches in Sapele flouted the order and opened on Sunday as members gathered in a large number

However the pastor of a Church, along Ugberikoko road,  his members was said to have fled on sighting the police, but his assistant pastor was arrested while that of God’s Faith Bible Church international Inc, situated along Ijere road, in Sapele were among those arrested today and taken to Sapele Police State.

The Divisional Police officer, Mr Akande Abubakar declined to speak, but a source at the Sapele Police Station told Vanguard that the pastors might be prosecuted for violating the state government’s stay-at-home order.

Meanwhile, as Nigeria churches goes empty today to observe a government ban on large gatherings to halt the spread of dreaded Coronavirus, Teacher of God’s word, Happy Overah of Face to Face Assembly along Ajogodo road, in Sapele and Bishop Iboyi Godday of Promise Kingdom ministry, Ugbeku, has warned against the church been used as experiment to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The pastors who spoke respectively from their homes called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa not let the gate of hell prevail over the church.

“Any little thing, the church is always the first to be shut down, markets are opening everyday and people are interacting daily, but every little thing, we should not open God’s house” Happy Overah said.

On his part, Bishop Godday Iboyi said though the Govt has done well on Social distancing, the church should be the hope of the common man.