Buchanan – Police in Grand Bassa County have released 10 pastors after arresting them on Friday , April 10. The prelates reportedly violated health measure instituted by the government to curb the further spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Report By: Elton Wrionbee Tiah in Grand Bassa County
The pastors were holding worship services at their respective churches in Buchanan city.
Their arrest was based on an order from Grand Bassa County Attorney, Samuel Jacobs .
After they were arrested, the they were seen sitting in front of the police station on the Fairgrounds. They stayed there for couple of hours as their members demanded their release by protesting in the streets of the port city.
Atty. Jacobs told reporters that the action of the joint security to have arrested the pastors was part of the measures put in place by the Health Ministry to avoid public gathering.
“The President of this country announced that churches, schools and other public places should be closed due to the COVID 19 pandemic, ” he said.
“We from the Ministry of Justice are to enforce the law and so today we told the pastors not to go to church “.
Jacobs stressed that they will not allow any church service in the midst of the pandemic.
“We do not hate God; we are also church goers but we will not allow people to violate in the name of serving God, ” he warned.
He said that the action carried out by the police was an example of what they will do to ensure that the measures are followed by every institution or grouping.
“We brought those pastors here to tell them that hosting church services was wrong and they should stop that in the midst of the coronavirus “.
He furthered: “We just set them free but we give them a warning that from Sunday onward there will not be church services until we hear from the national government “
Meanwhile , the head of the Grand Bassa Ministers Association, Wilmot Sawah vowed that churches in the county will “never close”.
He said bigger countries have tried to find solutions to the pandemic but they’ve been unable to do so.
“Countries like America , China , Italy and many others can’t find solutions so we believe that God is the only solution, ” Sawah said.
“Now that our pastors are free , we are going for a meeting and we will come out with a strong statement because we will not close”..
Several members of various churches in the county were seen on Friday matching in the streets of Buchanan chanting songs that God will not allow the country to fall.
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