Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa of the United Methodist Church Zimbabwe was arrested and subsequently deported from Nigeria while on a mission to oversee the election of a new church leader.
The incident took place in Yola, Adamawa State, where Bishop Nhiwatiwa was involved in efforts to replace outgoing Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, who recently resigned and joined the Global Methodist Church, an anti-LGBTQ faction.
The United Methodist Church has been divided into two factions, one supporting same-sex marriages and the other opposing them.
According to reports from the Nigerian newspaper Daily Post, Bishop Nhiwatiwa was detained by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on August 23, shortly after arriving in Yola for a crucial meeting with members of the Southern Nigerian Annual Conference. Despite having all the necessary travel documents, he was taken into custody.
It is reported that Bishop Nhiwatiwa was deported the following night on an Ethiopian Airways flight (ET893), departing around 10 p.m. from Addis Ababa and expected to arrive in Harare around 2 a.m.
The NIS explained that Bishop Nhiwatiwa was arrested for performing religious duties with a visit visa instead of a religious visa. The church leadership fears this incident may signal a broader crackdown, with concerns that more members and pastors involved in the church’s internal disputes may also face detention.
Reverend Alan Gurupira, the bishop’s administrative assistant, confirmed that efforts were made to ensure Bishop Nhiwatiwa’s safe return, with assistance from Bishop Muyombo and the Zimbabwean Ambassador to Nigeria.
