Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka who went missing yesterday has disclosed that his 24 hours ‘disappearance’ was an incarceration by the Enugu Catholic Bishop, Most Rev Callistus Onaga, whom he accused of conniving with others to detain him because he spoke favourably about the leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
According to Mbaka, he was only released because the adoration faithful protested his unexplained disappeance. Mbaka who spoke late on Wednesday at his adoration ground after regaining freedom, practically accused the authorities of the Enugu Catholic Diocese of Mastermind. He said he was kept incommunicado by the Bishop, whom he further alleged planned to keep him for 30 days.
He said a lot of issues were presented against him after which the Church leadership, led by Bishop Calistus Onaga told him that he would remain indoors for one month, a period that would allow him pray and meditate over his activities. Mbaka said he requested to be allowed the opportunity to come and address his parishioners after which he would shut down, “but they said no. I also begged them to allow me send another priest to come and celebrate mass for you today, they said no,” he told the parishioners.
Mbaka said Bishop Onaga upon seeing the protest over his predicament allowed him to go. Mbaka said the church was strong against him for blessing Nnamdi Kanu. “Are you the owner of my mouth? You can’t tell me who to bless? If you are not happy that I blessed someone, you have your own mouth, you can curse the person. “They didn’t treat me in a pastoral way and I was asking am I being punished for what? “They said it was a meeting, but even before I reached the Bishop’s house, the conclusion has already been made. What happened to me was like the day I was shot on the road.
“Unfortunately for them, even before the meeting, a woman was already going around bragging that the Bishop will call me for a meeting, and that I was going to leave my house here for 30 days, and that after the 30 days, I would be sent to Rome, and Adoration ministry will be closed. “In a time and cases like this, don’t give me a punishment that will cause troubles for us because I’m not alone.” Mbaka said that another thing presented to him was his recent criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government. “I cannot hate my brother because of some people whose hate is in their genes,” Mbaka said.
