THE ARREST OF REV. DR. DANLADI DIKO, FOUR OTHER CLERGY AND 1O MEMBERS OF UMCN: DESPERATION OF BISHOP JOHN WESLEY YOHANNA

By; Rev. Absolom Jeremiah (Northern Nigeria Annual Conference).

As I write this article in a remote area of Shongom Local Government in Gombe state-, my heart bleeds for the inhuman incarceration of Rev. Dr. Danladi; the Senior  pastor of the UMC Bethlehem NTA, Rev. Markus Jauro; the Senior Pastor of Haske United Methodist Church Abuja Phase 2, Rev. Ignatius Jesse; the Senior Pastor of Negatavah United Methodist Church Lassandi, and ten other members of the Church.   

Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, the desperate prospective bishop of the new Global Methodist Church in Nigeria has done it again. In his desperate bid to force and impose the Global Methodist Church in Nigeria and his stooge against the will and wish of the good people of The United Methodist Church in Nigeria, Bishop Yohanna has expressly masterminded the arrest and incarceration of the key opposition clergy and members who stood firmly on his ways on frivolous charges and planed to detained them in prison till after the planned November 2022 visit of representatives of the College and Council of Bishops in Nigeria. 

The recent arrest and incarceration of Rev. Dr. Danladi Diko, four other clergy and ten lay members, who serve as the key organizers of the majority who wish to stay in UMC against the  planned division in the Church is a proven test. 

It is acknowledged fact that, the arrest and detention of these clergy and members of the Church is politically motivated to demonize their stand against division caused by the bishop in Nigeria with malicious intentions of breaking the Church for his newly formed Global Methodist Church. It is also a calculated move targeted at crippling the strong support for the United Methodist Church in Nigeria and Africa, as Nigeria is considered the giant of Africa, as well as the bishop's ambition for a tenure elongation in the new Global Methodist Church. 

After failing to halt the wild fire-like support the congregations have been giving to the United Methodist in Nigeria against his earlier Initiative of signing to join in forming a new denomination https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.umc.org/en/content/8-bishops-join-in-planning-new-denomination-ef&ved=2ahUKEwiDoNPXzIv7AhWASPEDHRujDE0QFnoECAkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1GviS-1LbKhfIwIp63NpQC, and after failing woefully to suppress the media and stop them from giving publicity to the UMC messages of hope and restoration, the bishop have resorted to defamation, gospel of hate, threat, and outright violence against these peace loving men of God and their members. 

One is then forced to ask, why have the bishop failed to channel this energy and resources he is wasting towards evangelism? Why has he failed to channel this energy and resources toward being Pastoral in reaching out to his flocks like the way other bishops and head of denomination does in Nigeria? Why have the bishop not deployed this energy and resources  in rendering quality leadership to UMC in Nigeria? The reason is simple, he is done with the United Methodist Church and want to destroy it. 

Bishop John Wesley Yohanna's Administration has become a disaster to the United  Methodist Church in Nigeria and the majority of the members of the Church have lost confidence in his ability. The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church should take appropriate steps to save the United Methodist Church in Nigeria from this destrutive agenda.