The priest of Adoration Ministry, Ejike Mbaka, has apologized for the destructions of properties at the Bishop’s court in Enugu by his rampaging supporters.
Mr Mbaka was declared missing last week after honouring a summon by the Bishop of Enugu Catholic Diocese, Calistus Onaga.
Mr Onaga had invited Mbaka to caution him over the latter’s brawl with the Nigerian presidency. The prelate had on Tuesday detained the Adoration chief who said he was to be kept incommunicado for a month.
The decision angered faithfuls of Adoration Ministry who erupted in protest demanding the immediate release of the controversial priest who was later released the following day. In a live Facebook video aired by Journalist101, some of the protesters were seen throwing stones and other dangerous objects at the building, damaging some of landed properties in the premises.
Apologizing on Sunday while delivering his homily, Mbaka said the protest was hijacked and he did not hail the mob for the destructions caused.
“I wish to apologize to whoever that misunderstood my statement at New Haven. I didn’t clap for anybody for destroying anything,” he said. “I am here standing on your behalf and I render my sincere unalloyed apologies to the holy Roman and apostolic Church where I belong and say may the mother church forgive us in anyway we didn’t do it well even in all that I said, where I didn’t say it well, we pray for their forgiveness. I am on your behalf, kneeling down for the church and I say may the church forgive.
“What has happened has happened we are to save the image of the church and the face of the church and the souls of the son of God we cannot lose my soul because of what has happened.
“People started going in and breaking things both Igbos, Hausas and Yorubs, Catholics and non Catholics.
“The church is not my property I belong to the church so I am asking my lord Bishop Onaga and all the priests of Enugu diocese and for everybody to rest the case.
“The prayer of reparation we will join, I didn’t send anybody to destroy anything I have no problem with anybody and I can’t disobey the church —who am I? How can somebody who has been serving the church for 25 years come out to begin to fight the same church.
“What I was praising you for was not for anything destroyed. I was praising you for your ability to search for your missing pastor,” he added.
