Nigerian animists attack churches, beat priests

ODE-AYE, Nigeria — Traditional animists attacked churches in Ode-Aye town in the southwestern state of Ondo in February and March, beating two Anglican priests into comas and destroying church property worth an estimated 6 million naira ($48,831 U.S. dollars). Joshua Ogunele, Anglican bishop of the Diocese on the Coast of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, said followers of native religions attacked the St. Christopher Anglican Church along with other nearby churches. The church’s priests, Chris Adetula and Oladejo Luji, nearly lost their lives, he said. During their annual Okute festival, adherents of the native religion had imposed a 21-day ban on Christian worship, especially use of drums. The Ondo State High Court in 1988 ruled the imposition of the ban on nonadherents of the traditional religion was “frivolous and vexatious.”