The Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has disowned one of the parishioners, later identified as Elijah, who threatened to kill Bishop Callistus Onaga of Enugu Catholic Diocese.
The said Elijah issued the threat in a viral video during a recent protest by members of Mbaka’s AMEN, over Onaga’s order shutting down the ministry.
The Bishop gave the order, following Mbaka’s outburst against the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, whom he described as a ‘stingy man’ because of his refusal to donate money to his ministry.
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However, Mbaka has denied that plans his AMEN habours any plan to attack the Onaga.
In a live video on the ministry’s Facebook page, Mbaka said Elijah is a verified psychiatric patient who should not be taken seriously.
“I wish to do a disclaimer over the utterances that are going round that Adoration people planned to attack Bishop Onaga. It is not true. The man called Elijah who made the dangerous utterance, is a certified and verified psychiatric patient,” the fiery priest said.
“Elijah used to be naked but by the grace of God, he now wears clothes. He is known for threatening people even though after the threat, he will not do anything. That is his own way of making money from people.
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“Elijah had even threatened to kill me if I didn’t forcefully and prayerfully make him chairman of all the local governments in Enugu State. Elijah wants to be the chairman of all the 17 local governments. This is the kind of person he is. He even wanted me to make him the president or else he would kill me.
“He has said several times that he wants to remove Bishop Onaga and become the Bishop of Enugu Diocese. Is this the person you can regard his utterances? No attack or plan to attack the Bishop from the Adoration Ministry. Whoever is thinking of that, I wash my hands off it,” Fr. Mbaka said.
The outspoken priest has been involved in one controversy after another. The latest shutdown is the second in recent times. It was also closer temporarily last year when Mbaka had heated altercations with the Presidency.
The threat to Bishop Onaga’s life has attracted attention of the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.