The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) an umbrella body
for the Pentecostal Christians in Nigeria, has condemned the activities of
Traditionalists and Herbalists Association of Nigeria in Rivers State.
A Warri, Delta State-based cleric, Bishop Simeon Okah, who
issued the condemnation on behalf of the PFN, particularly blamed the recent
spate of assassinations and other forms of attack on Christians in Rivers State
and environs on the group.
According to him, “agents of this occultic group now see the
killing of Christians as normal; same way the Boko Haram insurgents are killing
and terrorising Christians wantonly in the northern parts of the country.
“In the last few months, two of our Christian brothers had
been murdered in Rivers State alone.
“A Redeemed Christian Church pastor was stabbed to death
during a vigil on Danjuma Street, off Odili Road in Port Harcourt, and before
his murder, his life had been under death threat by members of this group.
“This, we learnt, followed his decision to help the church
with a piece of land alleged to belong to his late father who was a
senior member of the traditionalists’ association, and all efforts made
to make the police dispense justice on this matter were to no avail,”
Bishop Okah lamented.
The clergyman also accused the association of sending agents
to burn down a church-Bethel Salvation Assembly in Ogunu community, Warri and
that the resident pastor was also banished in the process.
The clergyman thus appealed to the police to check the
activities of this association, as things are getting worse by the day.
But reacting, a member of the Herbalists and Traditionalists
Association of Nigeria in Warri, Chief Oga Ene, who spoke with our
correspondent, countered that the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria “is more
occultic than the Traditionalists and Herbalists Association”.
He said the Nigerian type of Christianity had failed to add
any value to the country and that Nigerian pastors were guilty of religious
corruption and fleecing of innocent Nigerians.