On Saturday afternoon, a group of armed assailants stormed God’s Doing Healing and Deliverance Ministry in Orodo, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, resulting in the death of a youth leader and a violent robbery of the congregation.
The deceased, Samuel Ogbonna, a local restaurant owner and close aide to the church’s General Overseer, Evang. Maduabuchi Ernest, was shot multiple times by the gunmen. The attackers, identified as eight individuals in two vehicles—a red Highlander and a black Lexus—arrived at the church around 4 p.m. during an ongoing service.
According to an anonymous source, the gunmen demanded to see the General Overseer, but upon learning he was not present, they ordered the congregation to lie face down. They then proceeded to steal personal belongings including phones, bags, and cash.
An eyewitness recounted, “We were all forced to lie face down while they robbed us. When they were leaving, we heard gunshots and a loud shout. Later, we learned that Elder Ogbonna, who had briefly stepped out, had been chased into a nearby bush and shot several times.”
The attackers also abducted two church members—a man and a nursing mother—but released them along the Owerri-Orlu Expressway. They also made off with the church owner’s vehicle.
The attack has left the community in fear, with many residents fleeing the area for safety. The church has been locked up, and local authorities are investigating the incident.
