The House of Representatives yesterday directed Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris to ensure a thorough investigation of the killing of a preacher, Mrs. Eunice Elisha Olawale.
She was murdered around Gbazango-West area of Kubwa in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) while evangelising last Saturday morning.
The lawmakers also urged the IGP to ensure that perpetrators of the heinous crime are brought to book.
The police on Sunday announced the arrest of six suspects.
The resolution of the House followed a motion of urgent national importance by a member, Hon. Babatunde Gabriel Kolawole (APC Ondo).
Moving the motion with the title: “Gruesome murder of Mrs. Eunice Olawale in Kubwa, Abuja and the need to protect other citizens in the FCT,” the lawmaker said the woman and the wife of a pastor of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Olawale Elisha, was hacked to death in the early hours of Saturday, while preaching the gospel a few meters from her house in Kubwa, by unidentified miscreants.
“The late Mrs. Eunice Olawale is from Ilawe (Ekiti State) while her husband Pastor Elisha Olawale is from Ikare-Akoko in Ondo state, and that she was allegedly murdered by miscreants who were said to be annoyed by her early morning preaching in the area.
‘This incident has caused ethnic tension in the Federal Capital Territory because some are claiming she was killed by extremists while others say they are miscreants, and there is therefore the need for the House to be proactive to prevent the breakdown of law and order and further loss of. lives.”
When Speaker Yakubu Dogara called for a vote on the motion, it was overwhelmingly supported by members.
The lawmakers thereafter observed a minute-silence for the late Mrs. Olawale.
Also yesterday, the General Overseer of the RCCG Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye visited the family of the late Assistant Pastor of the Divine Touch Parish of the church in Abuja.
Adeboye visited the husband of the deceased, Pastor Olawale Elisha and the family around 6 a.m. to condole with them.
He was received by Pastor Olawale, his children and other church members.
In the condolence register, Adeboye wrote, “ E. A Adeboye; Glory to God for a divine warrior gone to glory”.
Wife of the vice president, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, also a pastor of the RCCG, on Sunday visited the family.
In a statement yesterday, the RCCG, said the church is “appalled and in grief on the sad incident of the gruesome murder of our sister, daughter and minister, Mojisola Elisha Olawale, in the early hours of Saturday the 9th of July 2016 while making early morning call to salvation.
”We are indeed mournful in RCCG. As sweet as heaven is, death of our youths is not what we wish for.
”The RCCG shall not cease to pray that God will end bloodshed in Nigeria and all over the world. The church sympathizes with the widower, and prays The Lord will restore joy to the Olawale family and intervene speedily to make the innocent safe”
In its statement, the national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) described the killing of Christians across some states especially the recent one in Abuja as brutal and unacceptable.
CAN said: “Authority’s inaction is becoming unbearable and may not be tolerated anymore.”
It called on Christians all over to always be ready to defend themselves against further attacks.
CAN advised authorities both at the states and federal level to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice before the crisis gets out of control.
The statement by CAN General Secretary Rev. Musa Asake added: “Mrs. Eunice Elisha was murdered in Kubwa area of Abuja, FCT, in the early hours of the day. Her neck was slashed and she was also stabbed in the stomach. About a month ago in Kano, Mrs. Bridget Agbaheme, a 74 year old Christian was murdered at Wambai market due to an altercation with a Muslim man who came to the front of her shop to perform ablution. Her offence was that she objected to the Islamic washing rite in front of her shop.
“Just last week a clergyman of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Reverend Zakariya was killed by attackers suspected to be Fulani Herdsmen in Obi LGA of Nasarawa State.
“Before the situation escalates into an unmanageable national crisis, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is calling on the authorities both at the states and federal to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice if the confidence of Christians on this government must be maintained.”
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