The Taraba State Government has justified the arrest of Reverend Bazel Yoila by the Department of State Services (DSS), rejecting claims of wrongdoing and cautioning against comments it says could incite unrest.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information and Re-Orientation, Barrister Zainab Usman Jalingo, said the government was responding to media reports and social media reactions portraying the arrest as unjustified.
According to the statement, security agencies acted proactively to preserve public order and promote responsible civic engagement.
The government also criticized remarks attributed to John Wesley, identified as Bishop Emeritus, who faulted the Taraba State DSS Command over the cleric’s arrest. It described as concerning what it called the bishop’s failure to address alleged “highly inflammatory and reckless” statements made by Rev. Yoila in a viral video.
In the video, Rev. Yoila was reportedly heard warning that “the state will be on fire” if the government continued its reconciliation efforts within the United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN).
The state government said such comments posed a serious threat to public peace and could not be ignored.
Officials maintained that the reconciliation initiative within the UMCN was launched in good faith as part of broader peace-building efforts. They stressed that the government’s involvement has been neutral, aimed solely at preventing internal church disagreements from escalating into wider communal tensions.
“Any attempt to derail this process through threats or inflammatory rhetoric is unacceptable and will be met with the full weight of the law,” the statement said.
The government added that the matter is now before a court of competent jurisdiction and urged all parties to avoid actions or commentary that could interfere with judicial proceedings. It reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law and respecting the independence of the judiciary.
Authorities also called on media organizations and public commentators to verify information through credible sources before publication, warning that sensational or one-sided reporting could undermine ongoing efforts to maintain peace in the state.
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