Prophet Odumeje apologises to Arondizuogu and Awka people

The controversial cleric popularly known as Odumeje also apologized to the people of Arondizuogu in Imo state for allegedly vowing to put a stop to the Ikeji festival of the community.

Odumeje in separate viral videos in April, also allegedly attacked Arondizuogu people, describing them as fetish, just as he attacked one of their prominent sons, Pericomo too.

For Awka, Odumeje described their masquerade festival, Egwu Imo Awka as being fetish and a means of worshiping monkeys, which is the symbol of the god.

In one of the videos, Odumeje was seen boasting that if he came in contact with the monkeys worshiped by Awka people, he would destroy them.

Though Odumeje’s community, Orsu in Imo State had written to the communities involved, tendering apologies, he had maintained silence, with more videos where he attacked the communities trending on the social media.

But in a statement issued on Saturday by the pastor himself, Ohanaemere described the people of both communities as peace loving who he claimed to had known and shared fellowship in his church over the years.

He however said the experience had thought him that ungaurded utterances with divisive tendencies needed to be checked.

The statement partly read, “My attention has been drawn to the publications on social media over the alleged face-off between me and the good people of Awka and Arondizuogu communities in Anambra and Imo state respectively.

“In the said posts, I was potrayed as declaring war on the people of these communities and their respective traditional festivals and beliefs, It was also alleged that I had vowed to destroy Imo-Awka festival and put a stop to the Ikeji festival of Arondizuogu.

“Consequently, upon the above, I wish to acknowledge that the people of Awka and Arondizuogu Communities are peace loving and I have over the years come to share fellowship and service in church with a great number of them.

“These two communities and their renouned indegenes have been known and recognised as major contributors to the development of their states, Igboland and the nation at large.