By Michael Ovat -Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has described reports concerning police presence at St. Faith Anglican Church as misleading, cautioning against the misrepresentation of security interventions in ways that could heighten tensions surrounding the alleged ecclesiastical dispute.
The Command wishes to clarify that the deployment of police personnel to any location is guided by the need to maintain law and order, prevent a breakdown of peace, protect lives and property, and ensure the safety of all concerned, irrespective of their affiliations or positions in the dispute.
The Command emphasises that police presence should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any party or position in an ecclesiastical disagreement. The Nigeria Police Force remains a neutral institution committed to enforcing the law, safeguarding citizens’ rights, and preventing disputes from escalating into threats to public peace and security.
The Command therefore urges media organisations, social media users, and other stakeholders to verify information before publication, exercise restraint in their reporting, and avoid disseminating narratives capable of inflaming tensions or deepening divisions within the religious community.
The Command reassures Ndi Anambra that it will continue to discharge its constitutional responsibilities professionally, impartially, and without fear or favour. It will not allow any disagreement, religious or otherwise, to degenerate into a breach of public peace and security.
The clarification was contained in a statement signed and issued to Journalists in Awka on Monday by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga.
