With the current spate of insecurity in the
country the Catholic Diocese of Enugu,
yesterday, conducted thorough screening of its
members before allowing them into the Sunday
services as part of of efforts to prevent attack on
the church by Boko Haram insurgents.
The church also banned women from entering
with hand-bags as part of the security
measures.
Some Pentecostal churches within Enugu have
also procured bomb detecting equipment with
which they screened vehicles driven by
worshippers into the premises of the churches
within the state capital. Some churches have
constructed iron barricades to prevent
insurgents from hitting the church buildings with
their vehicles.


This development is following the averted bomb
attack by the Police in Winners Church , Owerri
Imo state on June 15.
It would be recalled that on June 16, the
soldiers arrested over 400 suspected boko
haram insurgents at Aba, Abia State while two
other buses allegedly containing suspected
insurgents was said to have that fateful night
successfully escaped.

The Bishop of Enugu Catholic Diocese, Rt. Rev.
Calistus Onaga, was said to have directed all
parish priests within the Diocese to make the
official announcement regarding the ban on
female worshippers coming into the churches
with handbag, during Sunday services.
The bishop, who appealed to the church
members to cooperate with the ushers and
security men charged with maintaining security
in the churches, explained that the exercise was
not meant to embarrass the women or anybody,
but borne out of the present disturbing
insecurity challenges facing the nation.
He assured that the security measures would be
carried out with human face,and in a civilised
manner, adding that the church did not want to
take chances.


A worshipper who do not want his name
preinted said, “I must tell you, the Bishop and
entire Catholic faithful in Enugu, are
apprehensive with the rumour of the insurgents
infiltrating the east, especially the alleged recent
escape of two buses conveying Boko Haram
members in Abia state, during a security check.
“I support the development that henceforth,
women will no longer be allowed to enter
Catholic churches during masses with hand
bags, apart from their purses, which will also be
subjected to thorough scrutiny by church
workers.

“Before today’s announcement was made, our
Bishop had already briefed all the parish priests
under the Diocese, so that they can take the
message down to their various parishes.
“Though, we known that if God did not guard a
city, guard men will be guarding in vein; but
there is also need for us as human beings to
play our own part, while God plays his own
part”.

According to Vanguard, some of the Pentecostal
churches within Enugu capital visited yesterday
that the worshippers were subjected to thorough
security screening by the internal security men
of the churches while some churches were being
guarded by armed policemen.
Both cars and handbags were searched to
ensure that no bomb was smuggled into the
church while the premises were patrolled
regularly to forestall attacks by insurgents who
might target the places of worship.

source: naij.com/68933.html

Interesting development.