A violent clash between members of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN) and the Global Methodist Church in Nigeria (GMCN), has left a 27 year-old-man Elisha Masoyi and two siblings dead in Munga-Dosso commuinity of Karim-Lamido Local Government Area, Taraba State.
The conflicts which broke out on Sunday, December 15, also displaced over one thousand (1000) worshippers, mostly women and children.
According to reports, the clash begun when three GMCN pastors accompanied by their members, attempted to unseal the UMCN No.1 Church for service.
UMCN members resisted the move, leading to a violent confrontation that escalated and spread to other sealed Churches including UMCN No.3.
Masoyi, a UMCN member and brother to the church’s Lay Leader, was reportedly shot dead during the violence.
The dispute stems from a long-standing division between the two factions, which led the Taraba State Government to seal three UMCN churches in Munga-Dosso -UMCN No.1, No.2 and No.3 – to prevent further unrest.
The Police and Military have intervened in the aftermath of the ugly clash.
The Nigerian Army arrested 23 UMCN members, while the Police attributed the crisis to GMCN members’ attempts to access the sealed buildings.
Usman Abdullahi, theTaraba State Police spokesperson, confirmed the incident, stating that efforts of the law enforcement to prevent the violence had been unsuccessful.
UMCN’s District Superintendent in Munga-Dosso, Reverend Alim Thomas, expressed regret over the situation, noting that his earlier attempts to involve the Police had not yielded results.
The tragedy underscores the severity of division between the two factions, which continues to have devastating effects on the community.
-9News Nigeria.
