Group warns against calls for Enenche, Omakwu’s arrest

A civil society group, the Global Network for Sustainable Development, has warned against calls for the arrest of the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Center, Pastor Paul Enenche, and Pastor Sarah Omakwu of the Family Worship Centre. 

The group gave the warning on Friday, in a statement, where it said it was “questionable” that the Centre for Social and Economic Rights, would continue to call for the clergies’ arrest, despite not being the only ones to speak against the conduct of the February 25 Presidential elections. 

According to the statement signed by GNSD’s National Coordinator, Phil Roberts, the call for the arrest of Enenche and Omakwu was “antithetical to democracy and freedom of speech.”

Roberts further alleged that the group had been hired to silence the voice of reason “and render our nation a tyrannical and dictatorial enclave where citizens live in perpetual fear and bondage.”

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He advised the group to stop further acts of public incitement against the person of Dr Paul Enenche, noting that their actions so far amounted to gross abuse of his fundamental human right as a free citizen. 

Part of the statement reads “Our attention has been drawn to a provocative and inconsequential call by a certain faceless, clueless, misguided and self-acclaimed civil society group, Centre for Social and Economic Rights (CSER) for the arrest of Dr Paul Enenche and Pastor Sarah Omakwu over what they called inciting statements. 

“We also realised that this same attention-seeking group had made same misplaced call exactly on the 28th of February 2023. They are obviously renewing the call since their first attempt did not generate significant attention or reward from their supposed paymaster. 

The conduct of this group is antithetical to democracy and freedom of speech. They represent the worst enemy of the Nigerian nation as they are out to sabotage the efforts of both the state and the citizens in building a more tolerant, progressive and inclusive society. 

How can you address yourself as ‘civil’ while openly canvassing for illegitimate use of force by agents of the state against her citizens? How can you be fighting for and against citizens’ rights at the same time? This is nothing short of barefaced hypocrisy and duplicity. They speak not for the nation, but for their gaping mouths and hungry bellies. They stand not for democracy but for autocracy and tyranny. 

They are, therefore, advised to stop further acts of public incitement against the person of Dr Paul Enenche. Their actions so far, are tantamount to gross abuse of his fundamental human right as a free citizen. 

Any further incitement by them against his person would be taken as a deliberate and wilful provocation, aggression and assault. We will employ every litigable means to make them pay for their thuggery and criminality in the name of civil society advocacy.”