The leadership tussle rocking the Assemblies of God Church on Wednesday degenerated into a fracas as one of the feuding parties invaded its headquartres in Enugu.
An eyewitness who preferred anonymity said on Wednesday that at about 10 a.m., some unidentified people invaded the headquartres with weapons and burnt a vehicle belonging to a clergyman from one of the branches of the church.
He said that since the present General Superintendent of the church, Rev. Dr Paul Emeka assumed office in 2011, some members of the church had been fomenting trouble.
The eyewitness said the group had planned to attack the church headquarters at Independence Layout, Enugu.
“On getting this information, we quickly informed the security agencies, the state government, and some media houses and placed security men on 24-hour guard at the headquarters since Monday.
“The group held a meeting on March 16, 2014 against the advice of the general superintendent and suspended him for not attending.
“When they discovered that the suspension could not stand, they alleged that he misappropriated the church fund, an allegation which the EFCC had investigated without any proof.
“In view of the foregoing, many attempts were made by this group to discredit the church leadership which culminated in a court case that is yet to be vacated,’’ the witness said.
The eyewitness lamented that after violating the church’s constitution by hosting the meeting which was not supposed to be, they now decided to attack the headquartres.
“We are appealing to the government to come to our aid before things get out of hand,” the witness said.
When newsmen visited the church headquartres, armed policemen, civil defence and customs men kept watch over the area.
The area was cordoned-off to vehicular traffic while pedestrians were searched and questioned while the imbroglio lasted.
The group that invaded the church had been dispersed when the NAN correspondent visited the area.