Zimbabwean bishop arrested in Nigeria as United Methodist Church crisis deepens

The wrangling in the United Methodist Church, Nigeria, has again taken a different dimension as a Zimbabwean bishop of the church, Eben K. Nhiwatiwa, was reported to have been arrested in Nigeria.

Nhiwatiwa who was in Nigeria to meet with the members of the church in order to kick start the process of electing a new bishop of the church in Nigeria after the resignation of the former bishop, John Wesley Yohanna, was reported to have been arrested in Yola, Adamawa State and whisked to the Abuja headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service.

In a statement made available to journalists in Jalingo, Taraba State on Sunday, the church expressed sadness at the arrest and urged relevant authorities to as a matter of urgency wade in by ensuring his immediate release.

Believing that some members of the breakaway faction of the church are behind the arrest, the church, in the statement signed by a pastor, Salisu Waziri, said operatives of the NIS still went ahead to detain him despite having all the required documents.

The church, as observed by our reporter, have been factionalized since the last international conference in the United States of America where some members supported same sex marriage.

At the time of filing this report, the Taraba State Government has closed all the branches of the church spread across the state.

The aim, according to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Charles Maijankai, is to prevent breakdown of law and order among the members who are at the time of filing this report, struggling to take control of the church property.

It was alleged that there are plans to use security operatives to arrest more members of the church, including pastors.

“Bishop Nhiwatiwa arrived Yola Town, Adamawa State, venue for the first meeting with the members of the Southern Nigerian Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria but was on Friday 23 August 2024, whisked away at the venue of the meeting by Nigerian Immigration Service, Adamawa State Command, for questioning.

“After several hours of detention in the Yola Immigration office, Bishop Nhiwatiwa was later confined to his hotel with guards before being taken to Abuja on Saturday 24 August 2024 in company of an Immigration officer to the Immigration Headquarters in Abuja Nigeria’s capital where he is currently detained,” The statement added.

An immigration officer who spoke with our reporter on the conditions of anonymity, said “only our national headquarters can respond to your question on the bishop in question.”