Reverend Father Linus Okwu, a Catholic Priest of St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church, Agbani, in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been accused of flogging choir members for failing to clear the church field. The choir members included women, young men, ladies, and teenagers.
The incident occurred when Father Okwu, reportedly armed with canes, disrupted a choir practice to demand why the church field remained uncleared. Dissatisfied with the explanations given, he allegedly ordered the choir members to kneel and proceeded to flog them.
A victim, who wished to remain anonymous, described the experience as traumatic and said it left her with bruises. “The priest was furious and told us that since we hardly comply with the church’s teachings and instructions, he would use the stick approach to ensure compliance. I thought he would spare the adults and mothers, but he flogged everyone, including myself,” she recounted.
She added that when she tried to resist, Father Okwu insisted that as the church’s spiritual father, he had the right to discipline his congregation in the same way a parent would.
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