Sir James Louis Okoye, a former Catholic Knight of St John International who reportedly denounced Christianity during the official opening of Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church, Nnewi, in January over non-recognition of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, has been arrested.
Okoye, also known as Ebube Anaedo, was arrested by local vigilantes in Nnewi after he was seen on Saturday wearing a red dress with a fresh palm frond between his lips, with a bell in hand, performing what he believed was the ritual cleansing of the land on the streets of the town.
The former knight gained popularity in January, during the official consecration of the Nnewi Catholic Cathedral, where he decried the non-recognition of the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who he believed built the cathedral to almost completion before his death.
He was captured on video then, as he removed his shoes and his knighthood hat while stepping out of the cathedral, declaring, “Ifeanyi Ubah ndo.”
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While stepping out of the gate, he dusted his shoes and shouted “Akachaam,” a sign that he was done with Christianity.
His protest was geared toward bringing attention to the fact that not once did the church recognise Ifeanyi Ubah’s efforts in building the church. He apologised to the late Ubah and renounced Catholicism over the matter.
The matter had generated huge controversy in Nnewi, leading to his being excommunicated by the Knight of St John International.
Since then, very little has been heard of him until Saturday, when he was reportedly arrested.
In a short video showing Okoye sitting on the floor and being interrogated in what looked like a vigilante office, the former knight of the church said he was engaged in a cleansing exercise for Nnewi land because the community had been desecrated.
He insisted he had done nothing wrong by engaging in the cleansing, insisting that he was doing it for the good of Nnewi town.
He also informed the men interviewing him that he took permission from the traditional ruler of Nnewi town, Igwe Kenneth Orizu, before embarking on the exercise.
Meanwhile, some netizens who also saw the controversial former knight during the exercise said he had gone mad. They attributed his madness to his fight against the church, while others insisted he hadn’t done anything wrong as he was only practising his religion and had not done anything wrong to anyone.
As of the time of filing this report, the true state of his health was not ascertained, nor was it clear if he had been released by the vigilante operatives.
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