The Catholic Diocese of Awka has taken the unlawful invasion of St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral’s land to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Amawbia, Anambra State.
The Priests working in all the parishes in the Awka community trooped out today to protest what they described as forceful break and entry into the Cathedral’s premises as well as malicious damage of the Church’s properties.
The said portion of land Fides gathered was donated to the Church over 100 years ago by the people of Umuzocha village Awka.
Addressing newsmen after meeting the representatives of the Umuzocha village at the SCID office, the Chancellor of the Diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Charles Ndubuisi, the Diocese, reported the community in connection with alleged malicious damage to its property between February and March this year.
‘The new portion of land was the Diocese’s Regina Caeli College of Nursing Sciences Awka projects that were ongoing and were invaded and destroyed.
‘The Diocese swiftly reported to the police and today we are at the headquarters of the Anambra State Criminal Investigation Department of the Police Command at Amawbia, Anambra State
While condemning the protesting villagers’ stance, Very Rev. Fr. Ndubuisi accused some young men from the village of forceful entry and malicious damage of property of the Church where the Regina Caeli College of Nursing Sciences is being constructed According to him, the issue wasn’t over over land ownership, but the forceful entry and malicious damage to its property.
According to him, the matter will be mentioned in the court tomorrow. ‘The court case will be mentioned in an Awka court tomorrow,’ he concluded.