Father Mbaka: Popular Nigerian priest, church members attack BBC reporters
Nigerian catholic priest, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka and some of e church members on Wednesday evening attack two BBC reporters, their driver and two others for Enugu State, South- Eastern Nigeria.
Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka Di journalists, Chioma Obianinwa, Nnamdi Agbanelo and their driver, Ndubuisi Nwafor, bin dey wit another Catholic Priest wey follow dem, Rev Cajethan Obiekezie and e assistant, Solomon Orakam. Rev Obiekezie, wey arrange di interview bin lead di BBC team to Mbaka Adoration Ministry around 10am but di interview no immediately hold because Father Mbaka bin dey preach. Di BBC crew wey Rev Obiekezie lead come move to Mbaka house after di church service to conduct di interview around 5pm. Wen Mbaka reach house, di journalists wey bin dey wait inside car after Obiekezie go inside to discuss with Father Mbaka, suddenly come dey surrounded by about 20 men. According to Obianinwa, di men seize their equipment and threaten to kill dem for writing 'negative reports about Mbaka.' Obianinwa tok say, "Mbaka ask us to wait till di end of di programme for di interview. Di men outside e house say BBC Igbo dey write negative tins about Mbaka and start to beat Nnamdi, Solomon and Ndubuisi. Dem give dem heavy blows on their heads and all over their body." Di BBC reporter further tok say Mbaka and Obiekezie come out of di house wen dem hear di noise and Mbaka face her and starte to chook e fingers for her face, come call her ' satanic.' "Dis come ginger di men to continue di attacks as Father Mbaka continue to shoute and abuse us. Im ask e men to seize our phones and cameras. Dem say dem go kill us and nothing go happen. Dem remove my wig and try to strangle Nnamdi. Rev Obiekezie bin dey tell dem to stop but dem attack am too and seize e phone," she tok. Obianinwa say di attacks stop wen she begin shout say "di world go know say dem die for Mbaka's house." "At dis point, Rev Mbaka come ask us to leave before im men kill us. Im ask dem to return our equipment and dem chase us out of di compound. Im men follow us until we leave di state to seek medical assurance and police help," she tok. Wen the BBC call di number on Father Mbaka official Facebook page for e reaction, di number bin dey switched off.