According to a report by Daily Trust, some masquerades on rampage
attacked a Church, City of Living Grace Chapel, in Idu Uruan, Uruan
local government area, Akwa Ibom State, and destroyed the church’s
properties, beat up some members and stole the phones of others.
It was gathered that the masquerades, who were purportedly grieved that
the pastor of the Church, Apostle Emmanuel Etim, had repeatedly preached
against the practice of terrorising the citizens during the Ekpo
masquerade festival, were led by a group of touts to attack the Church.
A member of the Church, Ms Mboutidem Sam, who spoke with Daily Trust in
Uyo said the Church was observing a month long fasting and prayer
service when the incident happened.
She said it was possible that the attack was due to the fact that their
pastor has repeatedly preached against the fear of Ekpo masquerades and
their activities, adding that the masquerades must have decided to
physically attack the church as a result of their failed death threats
to the church members.
Sam said the masquerades attacked the church twice on the same day. She
said at first, some touts entered the church premises and destroyed the
speaker outside and put off the generator and later returned in a large
number with some masquerades.
According to her, they entered the church and started beating up people,
destroyed church properties and in the process many members lost their
phones, adding that many people were injured.
She said the masquerades also attacked a motorcyclist, who brought a member to the church, and the man ran into the church with
She stated that though nobody died, one of the injured persons
“They stole phones from the pastor and some choristers. So many people lost their property.
“The car of one of our pastors was vandalised, that was the only car that was destroyed. People were still coming to Church when the incident happened. The attack would have been very severe than that if the Church was filled,” she stated.