There’s palpable fear among members of Zion Prayer Ministries in Imo State following the alleged shooting to death of four security operatives, including personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), on a disputed parcel of land at Mbaishii community in Ngor Okpuala Local Government Area of Imo State.
The deceased officers were reportedly attached to Zion Prayer Ministries, Ngor Okpala, and had been deployed to guard the controversial land, which has for years remained a flashpoint of contention among the six villages that constitutes Mbashisi community.
An eyewitness, Chief John Ekeh told The Authority that the shootout was as a result of heated altercation over the disputed property, which later degenerated into indiscriminate gunfire, leaving four operatives dead and several others wounded.
According to Ekeh, “the confrontation was triggered by a disagreement over the sharing of proceeds allegedly linked to Evangelist Ebuka Obi and his Zion Prayer Ministries. Matters worsened when a trigger-happy officer opened fire, forcing his colleagues to intervene in a bid to disarm him.
“In the chaotic struggle that followed, more officers were gunned down before the shooter was eventually overpowered and allegedly killed” he reported.
The incident has left the entire community in shock and raised serious security concerns, particularly as Zion Prayer Ministries is set to hold a four-day crusade in the area by next week. Fears are mounting over the safety of worshippers and the security measures to be put in place for the event.
While police authorities in the State have denied involvement in the clash, the Department of State Services is obviously downplaying the reported casualty figures.
“We don’t talk on the phone, but the number of casualties is lower,” said DSS Director of Operations, Ikechi Ogbonna.
