Twelve Christians, including a clergyman, of the True Church of God of Cameroon who were detained at Ngousso in Yaounde have been released, MMI has learned.
Barrister Ngawou, who facilitated their release, confirmed to MMI that 12, and not 30 Christians, as earlier reported, who had been detained, are now free.
The release comes after their arrest on Saturday, March 16, following a tumultuous incident inside the Church.
That was because they went to church to protest the planned installation of church leaders by Pastor Abate Francois.
Pastor Abate, who is claiming leadership of the church, is being imposed on Christians by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji.
On Saturday at the church, the police severely brutalized the Christians before taking 30 others to detention.
The controversy stems from disputes surrounding the leadership succession within the True Church of God of Cameroon, following the passing of its founder, Rev. Apostle Toukea Nestor, in 2020.
Prior to his demise, Rev. Nestor had established a clear protocol for selecting his successor.
During an Extraordinary General Assembly held at Ngousso in 2021, Pastor Landry Tchana Tchamy was chosen by acclamation to lead the Church.
Pastor Abate Francois chaired the assembly that saw Landry Tchana chosen as VEDC’s president.
However, tensions arose when Pastor Abate Francois, purportedly backed by Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, attempted to assert his leadership over the church.
Abate went as far as installing Landry in the presence of Christians from the different 600 assemblies all over Cameroon that came for the Assembly in Yaounde.
Two months after the installation of Landry Tchana, Pastor Abate Francois drafted a new statute to suit his ambitions.
This led to division and discontent among church members.
Matters escalated when Pastor Abate attempted to hold a General Assembly in Ayos to solidify his leadership position, despite objections from Christians aligned with Pastor Landry.
However, Christians realized that Abate, while forwarding the decision of the 2021 general assembly to MINAT, replaced Pastor Landry Tchana’s name with his instead.
Abate then planned a GA in Ayos that was going to see him chosen as the leader of the church.
Christians complained of the illegal activities of Pastor Abate Francois, which were bringing chaos to the VEDC.
On June 9, 2023, the Divisional Officer of Ayos, Moloka Alain Ekwe, signed a communiqué in which he banned the planned GA by Abate Francios.
Meanwhile, on June 19, 2023, Minister Paul Atanga Nji, supposedly Abate’s friend, signed another communique that went contrary to that of the DO, recognizing Pastor Abate as the leader of the true church of God of Cameroon.
According to Pastor Abate, the founder of the church was a Bamelike, and it was now the turn of a person from the Center Region to oversee the church.
The situation reached a boiling point when Pastor Abate, with apparent support from Minister Atanga Nji, sought to enforce his leadership by installing his own appointees within the church.
This move prompted Christians aligned with Pastor Landry to protest, resulting in their arrest by the police.
Despite their release, underlying tensions within the True Church of God of Cameroon persist, as rival factions continue to vie for control and legitimacy.
