Mbaka, Popular Priest Fingered In Another Crisis
Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka, Spiritual leader of Adoration Ministry in Enugu has been accused of sponsoring and personally supervising the assault of a team of BBC journalists who visited his residence for an interview on Wednesday.
This online news platform understands that the journalists – Chioma Obianinwa and Nnamdi Agbanelo – were reportedly attacked by Father Mbaka and some men at his residence over a “negative” reportage about the priest.
The two journalists, accompanied by one Cajethan Obiekezie, also a Catholic priest, were said to have visited the AMEN prayer ground in Enugu for a scheduled interview, they, however, moved to his residence as the church service lasted longer than expected and while waiting in their car, they were reportedly surrounded by about 20 men.
“The Priest asked us to wait until the end of the programme for the interview. The men outside his house said BBC Igbo writes negative things about Mbaka and started beating Nnamdi, Solomon and Ndubuisi,” the reporter said.
“They gave them heavy blows on their heads and all over their body.”
Obiekezie, who had entered the priest’s house, came out with the priest but the latter reportedly joined in the attack, describing Obianinwa as “satanic.”
“This fired up the men to continue the attacks as Father Mbaka continued shouting and abusing us. He asked his men to seize our phones and cameras,” she was quoted to have said.
“They said they would kill us and nothing would happen. They removed my wig and tried to strangle Nnamdi. Father Obiekezie was telling them to stop but they attacked him too and seized his phone.
“At this point, Father he asked us to leave before his men killed us. He asked them to return our equipment and they chased us out of the compound. His men trailed us till we left the state to seek medical assurance and police help.”
Read More: Why Seplat Petroleum Threatens to Drag Access Bank to Court
In a reaction, Father Mbaka’s spokesman, Maximus Ugwoke, says both Fr. Mbaka and the entire Adoration family were not aware of the presence of the BBC team on the Adoration ground to interview the Spiritual leader.
Read More: Fresh Attack on MFM: A Team Heading to Hell, By Femi Oyewale
Speaking to Vanguard, Ugwuoke narrated that what took place was that the BBC team swooped on Fr Mbaka in espionage with a detracting priest from Anambra state and were confronted by the AMEN security operatives.
Mbaka asks Buhari to apologise for failure
Ugwuoke insisted that the BBC was never invited to interview the Adoration spiritual leader.
