By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo
Tarabans and the retired Bishop Emeritus of the Global Methodist Church of Nigeria (GMCN), Bishop John Wesley, on Tuesday condemned the manner in which the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Rev. Bazel Yoila at his residence in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, in the early hours of Sunday.
Some residents of Jalingo who spoke to journalists said the pastor, who has been a well-known figure in Taraba State and beyond, should be treated as a law-abiding Nigerian citizen.
They lamented that the manner in which the DSS carried out the arrest of the cleric was unprofessional.
The DSS reportedly arrested Yoila at about 2:23 a.m. last Sunday at his residence. Residents living near his house said the operation was frightening, alleging that operatives gained access through the perimeter fence.
Also speaking on the arrest, family members of Rev. Yoila alleged that DSS operatives scaled the perimeter fence, broke windows, gained entry into the house, and forcefully arrested him at gunpoint.
The wife of Rev. Yoila, who spoke to journalists at their residence, faulted the operation, stating that it left the family traumatised and that their children have been living in fear since the arrest.
“We were sleeping at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday when we heard our dog barking. When my husband stood up, he told me that there were people entering our house through the fence. We were all afraid, and the children were screaming. The men came with guns, broke our windows, and forcefully took my husband away,” she said.
She added that the armed men later identified themselves as operatives of the DSS.
The DSS has since arraigned Rev. Yoila before a Magistrate Court in Jalingo on Monday, where he was remanded at the Jalingo Correctional Centre.
Counsel to Yoila, Barr. L.T. Ayuba, said the presiding magistrate declined the bail application, stating that the charges against the cleric would first be scrutinised before ruling on the bail request.
Our correspondent gathered that Rev. Yoila’s arrest may not be unconnected to the lingering crisis between the United Methodist Church of Nigeria (UMCN) and the Global Methodist Church of Nigeria (GMCN).
Yoila had recently addressed a press conference in Jalingo, where he expressed dissatisfaction with the Taraba State Government’s handling of the crisis.
During the press conference, he also accused some prominent Taraba State Government officials of allegedly taking sides with the UMCN.
