Thank God for this clarification from Colin. I am relieved to learn that the Church of Nigeria is not responsible for the ‘attack’. The only link is a disclaimer I put out in 2005 to protect the Church from someone who claimed to be a knight (he did have pictures and membership card of another diocese, etc) but his bishop said he is a wanted fraudster in the diocese. I did not in any way advocate violence against him. So he assumes someone was able to come across the webpage 3 years later, gets so incensed that he mobilises others to beat up a friend of his! Come on ..give me a break!

It is sad that we have Nigerian bishops who get attacked, churches and homes burnt, wives and children beaten up and people do not write to condemn. Sad that in the same restive Port-Harcourt, babies and even grannies have been kidnapped, many killed, many injured mostly due to oil and political gangs yet none noticed. The ABC was however quick to weigh in when Colin heard of an attacked homosexual leader only for Colin to later apologise. Very sad.

I have often repeated that the Church of Nigeria does not encourage violence. Our vision statement boldly situated on our website is clear about who we are.

Tunde:

Do you honestly believe that the following is NOT an incitement to violence?

"We totally rejected and renounce this obnoxious attitude and behaviour [homosexuality], it is devilish and satanic. It comes directly from the pit of hell. It is an idea sponsored by Satan himself and being executed by his followers and adherents who have infiltrated the church. The blood and power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth will flush them out with disgrace and great pains."

How can any reasonable person deny the violence inherent in those words?

Of course the Church of Nigeria encourages violence - because of its homophobic beliefs. They create a climate where violence is acceptable.

Tunde is so ingrained in his homophobia that he doesn't understand

Tunde, you may feel you have to defend the archbishop's honour against what you consider to be slander. Instead, why don't you try to understand how calling a gay Nigerian a follower of Satan could well get him killed.

"I did not in any way advocate violence against him."

True, Tunde, what your Church said of him, presumably a statement you support, was:

"We totally rejected and renounce this obnoxious attitude and behaviour [homosexuality], it is devilish and satanic. It comes directly from the pit of hell. It is an idea sponsored by Satan himself and being executed by his followers and adherents who have infiltrated the church. The blood and power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth will flush them out with disgrace and great pains."

Now, I'm sure such language leads people to love their neighbours, I mean it is so generous and kind of you to claim that I am a follower of Satan. How nice of you! I'm sure no hothead in all of Nigeria ever took it upon himself as a result of this Church sponsored statement to in any way mistreat a gay person. I mean why would anyone think that they could hurt someone the Church has declared to be a follower of Satan? As to Westerners defending persecuted Christians in Nigeria, and I take it you don't include gay people in that group, well, I remember, in a conversation we had on the theoretical possibility of Westerners going to Nigeria to stand with persecuted Christians, you were quite clear that, me being gay and all, you would do nothing to stop me being thrown in jail! Not exactly a good way to treat those who support you, I should think. I also remember you trying to deny this when it it was actually in the website's archives, in print! I expect you will do so again now. I, by the way, have, on this website, tried to understand how your Church's proximity to a conservative Muslim presence affects the things you can do and say. I have also spoken out about the way Christians are persecuted in Muslim countries, so you can't say I have ignored these issues.

Violence begots violence. To deny any responsibility that horrors done to individuals after your organization has preached against in a blanket condemnation is the outright height of hypocrisy.

Actions speak louder than words, except when it is words that incite action.

By the way, is anybody paying attention to what is happening in Egypt?

The Disclaimer published by the Venerable Tunde in December 2005 was designed with only one purpose - to destroy my reputation and deny me. Tunde continues to lie about me. I did not ‘claim’ to be a knight of the church. I was and am a knight of the church in the Diocese of Otukpo. I was made a knight by Bishop Ugede. My membership card has been scanned and can be seen on the Changing Attitude web site. Tunde has been challenged several times to produce evidence of the charges he has made against me and his claim that the police want to arrest me. He has never produced any evidence but always come forward with excuses.

Three years later he is still making the same false allegations. Tunde, it is time for you to repent and admit that you have published false allegations about me. Tunde knows in his own heart that what he has claimed about me is false. He disgracefully suggests that I mobilised people to beat up a friend of mine. Tunde is still publishing lies. Tunde is one of the members of the Church of Nigeria who is indirectly responsible for the attacks which have been made on myself and another gay leader in Nigeria.

Tunde diverts attention away from the attacks on gays in Nigeria other tragedies in Port Harcourt. Tunde, you bear direct responsibility for the violence, until you remove the lies from the Church of Nigeria web site and admit that I have told the truth. Ask Bishop Benjamin who I met at the General Synod of England in York, Benjamin Kwashie, Archbishop of Jos. Archbishop Kwashie knows better than you the truth about me

Venerable Tunde you have not read our web site carefully. I wrote that I have said the Church of Nigeria is not directly responsible for the attacks on gay men in Nigeria and Togo. I have said that indirectly, the Church of Nigeria is responsible for the attacks. Tunde, you published lies about Davis Mac-Iyalla. You have been asked to produce evidence and you never have. We have produced evidence. Bishop Martyn Minns was asked to contact you to remove the lies from the Church of Nigeria web site. They are still on the site. Davis Mac-Iyalla is not a fraudster. Show me, Venerable Tunde, where you and Archbishop Akinola have condemned violent attacks on gay men. Show me how you are dealing with the people who are threatening Davis and myself.

Well done, Tunde.

Now, will your boss stop referring to homosexuals as "cancer" or as "less than human"?

"It is sad that we have Nigerian bishops who get attacked, churches and homes burnt, wives and children beaten up and people do not write to condemn. Sad that in the same restive Port-Harcourt, babies and even grannies have been kidnapped, many killed, many injured mostly due to oil and political gangs yet none noticed."

Tunde, gay Nigerians suffer from all of those SAME senseless attacks as you mentioned above.

The difference is, they ALSO get *targeted for their sexual orientation*, which those you list above do NOT.

"he is a wanted fraudster"

How very easy for you, to slander Davis Mac-Iyalla from the SAFETY of the Nigerian Hets-Uber-Alles state. Come say that in a nation w/ *functioning* libel laws, and see how far you get...

Lord have mercy!

Every time examples of violence are given, we write to condemn.

Our prayers are for peace, and against violence towards any soul.

If some only want to hear some of our prayers, that is a reflection of their filtering content to suit themselves.

God's Sabbath and God's everlasting covenant of peace is meant to apply to all occupants of this planet. None are meant to be excluded from grace.

No one soul's suffering is more or less legitimate than another's. Violence is to be condemned, including verbal violence. One form of violence is to misrepresent a soul's character or to claim that they have failed to do something, when in actual fact they have and either their attempts to heal have been denied, thwarted or sabotaged.

Christian leaders want peace for heterosexual male Christian bishops? Yes? Good, pray for peace for those souls, and in your prayers acknowledge that peace for Christians comes about through peace for ALL creation, and thus God's covenant of peace must apply to ALL creation. When you deny peace and grace for any element of Creation, you leave open a portal for violence and desecration.

I have often repeated that the Church of Nigeria does not encourage violence.

Then I find it curious that when asked about CAN's involvement in the 2004 Yelwa massacre, in which over 600 Muslims were slaughtered, Abp. Akinola grinned and replied "No comment."

Tunde, I have asked you before, and I will continue to ask you: What, if any, was Abp. Akinola's involvement in the Yelwa massacre?

Last time, you attempted to divert the issue by making a statement about a 2006 incident. That will not do.

Please choose your words carefully, as an investigation by the International Criminal Court has been requested.

"I have often repeated that the Church of Nigeria does not encourage violence" Tunde

Well, don't be upset, if you keep repeating "the Church of Nigeria does not encourage violence" often and long enough, someone, somewhere is certain to believe you.

Less significant perhaps, but what about events in Lincolnshire recently?

http://pluralistspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/04/shameful.html

Akintunde Popoola wrote: “Thank God for this clarification from Colin. I am relieved to learn that the Church of Nigeria is not responsible for the ‘attack’.”

This is not what Colin Coward wrote. He pointed out that, contrary to the Propaganda running on Stand Firm and such places, Changing Attitude had not claimed the Church of Nigeria was directly involved in this, only indirectly.

That was far too civil and charitable of him – and look what he got!

Continued slander; Akintunde Popoola wrote: “…for Colin to later apologise.”

He didn’t; he gave the lie to the Propaganda over at Stand Firm (which is interesting in its own right – obviously the movers at Stand Firm are hit and deeply worried by the actions and inactions of the Church of Nigeria regarding Human Rights, libel, oppression, violence & c. and the everlasting shame of becoming the focus for an International Tribunal.

A very sensitive matter, it seems. Very damaging to their political aspirations and to those of the Church of Nigeria.

I’ve been reading the comments about Davis and myself on Stand Firm and T19 as well as here - very instructive. It’s a fantasy land, a parallel universe.
People don’t read accurately what we have published. They reinterpret according to what they think we should have written. They have decided we are lying, cheating, scamming, revisionist gay activists.
Some think that I orchestrated the posting of the CA press release on 53 blogs simultaneously - I’m now an exponent of comment spamming, apparently.
They think Davis has demonstrated sophistication in public relations and technology - they should see the conditions under which he is living and operating. If it didn’t risk his security, I’d post the pics I took in Togo last year.
They think he has close and apparently continuous communication with several European advocacy organizations. Well, he does - Davis and I both have cell phones and we talk to each other and we both have Yahoo Ids and chat online most days. Very sophisticated and probably the work of Satan.
My credibility is repeatedly questioned, Davis is described as my ‘poster boy’. The comments about both of us are deeply offensive and wide of the mark.
I am encouraged. I know Davis and I both have integrity. The conservatives are using the most unchristian language and tactics against us. They are on the defensive.
Both Davis and I have made public as much as is safe to make public and is available to us.
I live in the UK. I have reported the threats against me to the police. The police have not issued me with a document that I can produce in evidence. Anyone in the UK knows this is normal practice. Perhaps the USA is different. It is very unlikely that the police in Nigeria or Togo have higher standards of recording and issuing documents than the UK.
The Togo police have now asked Davis to return on three different days to be given the results of the tests on the contents of the syringe. Davis understands this is because tests already carried out give the police cause for concern. When given the results, it will be in written form. Davis will scan the document and we will publish it.
When we publish it, I expect the conservatives will say we have spent the last 2 weeks forging it. Tunde will accuse us once again.

Davis, for how long do you expect a lie to last? The membership card you scanned is of a church in Abuja over 4 hours drive away from Otukpo of which you claim knighthood. Why will a church knight avoid the Cathedral since 2003? Sorry, but despite your pictures I’d rather believe the other knights and the present bishop who is the person that gave me the information and the person you need to clear with if you want the disclaimer removed.

No one in the Abuja church recognised your picture. Not even the lady that gave you the card. She only remembered a ‘visitor’ who gave a handsome amount that day and indicated interest in joining the church. He was never seen again. Yet that card is your proof that you are an active member of the Church of Nigeria. Good luck to you and those that believe you. At least it is now public you do not live in Nigeria and I noticed you no longer refer to yourself as ‘Sir’. Gradually the entire truth will be known.

"Why will a church knight avoid the Cathedral since 2003?"

Perhaps on the basis of experience, that you, Tunde, might well have ordered him ASSAULTED on sight?

God is not mocked, Tunde. God is never mocked!

Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.

Address the issues, Tunde, not personal attacks. Your actions represent the lowest of the low as well as being tedious and an attempt to move from the issue - the targeted violence.

I would like to remind you all that The Venerable Akintunde Popoola is not someone speaking on his own behalf, vut the Lord Archbishop of Abuja & Primate of All Nigeria's official Press Officer.

Tunde
What you may want to believe or not is entirely irrelevant.
What's at stake here is what you can PROVE.

You have spent years trying to slander Davis. The reason no-one here believes a word you say is because you have consistently not provided any evidence for what you say.

If you want to convince us - prove your claims.

Tunde, no apology from you for having started the chain of events which led to Davis being attacked two Sundays ago. No regret from you for being implicated in threats against another Christian because of the lies you told. No ability to identify with a man who is suffering threats and attacks because he is gay and has had the courage to come out. Davis’s very life is clearly continuing to threaten and disturb the Church of Nigeria.

I stopped using the title Sir for Davis because it is a title that led to misunderstanding in other parts of the Communion. Creating knights isn’t our practice in the Church of England and it led to further disbelief about Davis. Blame me, not Davis.

You now admit that you have not removed the disclaimer and will not, until Davis provides even more evidence about his knighthood and membership of the Church of Nigeria. Are you challenging your own Archbishop, Tunde? Archbishop Peter Akinola, in my presence and the presence of Bishop Martyn Minns, warmly greeted Davis and remembered meeting him several times when Davis accompanied Bishop Ugede as his administrator.

I know from having talked with other Nigerian bishops that Davis has told me the truth. You are placing yourself in a very vulnerable position. Tunde. You continue to affirm the lies you told about Davis. If Davis is attacked again, or God forbid, anything worse, you will carry responsibility for having started the chain of events that led to this.

From the Changing Attitude archive:
Davis Mac-Iyalla explained to Bishop Ugede how Knights of the Church were organised in Port Harcourt and that there were Knights in his own family. Prior to Knights being created in Otukpo there had never been knights in Province 3 where Akinola is Archbishop. The retired bishop of Aba, the Rt Revd Prof Uwabu was the first person Davis consulted and the bishop gave Davis a range of materials about Knights. Davis also wrote to the editor of the Good Knight magazine, a letter which was published, informing him that bishop Ugede was seeking information about making Knights in the new diocese. The editor visited Otukpo to offer help and advice. Davis also went to the secretary of the Council of Knights in the diocese of Enugu, Sir Ofidili, who also sent Davis material and a constitution and informed the president who attended on the day the first Knights were created.

Davis prepared all the information and material to create knights in the diocese. In October 2002 ten knights were created in the first group, including Davis, who was made the chaplain for the knights. The present bishop of Aba who was then the bishop of Umuhia, link diocese with Otukpo, attended the service and gave the message. The president of the Council of Knights came from the diocese of Oka and read one of the lessons. In November 2002, Davis MacIyalla, Sir Godwin and Sir Jesses Mwogu represented the diocese of Otukpo at the Joint Convention of the Council of Knights.

Tunde, I look forward to your next post on TA, following your interviews with all these people. Will they also tell you that they know nothing about Davis? How long will you continue the lie, Tunde?

Tunde I should be asking you how long does a lie last? You are the one who is falsely disclaiming and denying me as a member of the church of Nigeria Anglican communion.

The main issue here is for everyone including Archbishop Akinola to denounce violence against everyone (LGBT) and to stop hate language that will expose people to any kind of violence.

I don’t see you Tunde or the Archbishop doing that instead you divert attention of the public from the main issue to attacking me.

I have not stopped using my title or referring to my self as a Knight. The fact is that you are such a bad P.R.O and bringing shame to the Nigerian church instead of protecting their image.

Contact the secretariat of the Join Council of Knights, Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion and ask if there was a Joint Council of Knights Convention in the Dioceses of Aba in 2002. If yes find out who are the delegates from the Dioceses of Otukpo? We are Sir Godwin Obiakor, Sir Davis Mac-Iyalla and Sir Jesses Nwogu.

The present Archbishop of the Niger Delta Provinces and now present Bishop of Aba was the guest preacher when we are invested knight in Otukpo by then he was still the Bishop of Umuhia Diocese which is a link diocese to Otukpo find out the truth about me from him. Ask him who are the 2 delegates from Otukpo during his last investitures of knighthood in the Diocese of Umuhia before translating to Aba dioceses?

Tunde I am glad you are now telling some truth about my membership that the clerk remembers that I didn’t get the membership card fraudulently. When I relocated to Abuja and was staying with my brother I did join the church as an Anglican . No one gives a membership card to a visitor in Nigeria. Are you telling me that is the new practice now? I am known to the members of that parish in Abuja and spent a night in Archbishop Akinolas house - do we need to get back to all that?

I flee Nigeria Tunde because of your false Dissimilar and smear campaign which has and is still exposing me to dangers. I know your wish for me is death but if God be whom he is he will not allow you to succeed.

No. I do not want to slander Davis. I am only surprised he is still able to fool many. He fled Otukpo long before he ever heard my name and two years before my disclaimer but it is ok to blame me for it. The disclaimer is clear that he was very active up till 2003. His often repeated ‘proof’ of activities before 2004 should not fool anyone. Colin unknowingly confirms above some of Davis’ pre-2003 fraudulent activities and his influence over the then dying bishop. Davis is the only un-ordained man I heard of who became a ‘Chaplain’ in the Church of Nigeria.

Anyway, thanks for revealing how he got the uniform for the photographs and why he could dress as a knight – He purchased the material for all the Otukpo knights! The editor mentioned above claims Davis is yet to complete payment for some materials collected from him. Which Knight did not pay up?

The order of service used for the knighthood service mentioned above lists those to be knighted. Davis’ name is not among even though he prepared the programme. His name is also not on the register of the knights of Otukpo?

Re- Abuja church, If collecting a membership card by deceiving an innocent young lady with money and a promise to join is not fraudulent, then Frank Abagnale (know him?) was a real pilot, lawyer and doctor.

No. I cannot be a Christian and want anyone dead. Just like the godly bishops mentioned above did, I will warmly greet Davis anytime I meet him. Unbelievable? Even the bishop of Otukpo will do the same though his records show Davis made away with large sums of money. Like Davis boasts Abp. Akinola did, I will offer free dinner and accommodation in my own home to strangers even if they will claim five years later that I want them dead.

Why use our Christian charity to prove your association with us up till 2003 and yet want people to believe we are an uncharitable bunch out to harm you? What good will your hurt or death do to anyone in the Church of Nigeria? Will it get back Otukpo’s money? Will it suggest there are no homosexuals in Nigeria? I fail to see what we can gain from harming you but I perceive you gain a lot by making people think we want to harm you.

Akintunde Popoola wrote: ”… then Frank Abagnale (know him?) was a real pilot, lawyer and doctor.”

No Tunde, we do not know Frank Abagnale.

But seriously, haven’t you done enough damage to your reputation as it is already, Tunde.

If not, please explain how!

Tunde

It's not often I burst out laughing aloud when I read TA, especially not on a Monday morning.

"Anyway, thanks for revealing how he got the uniform for the photographs and why he could dress as a knight – He purchased the material for all the Otukpo knights! The editor mentioned above claims Davis is yet to complete payment for some materials collected from him. Which Knight did not pay up? "

THANK you for the giggle!! You truly are priceless.

How long will you continue like this Tunde? Those reading your slanders are no fools. All they demand from you is proof and you return with more attacks and slander against me.

For Jesus’s sake Tunde please tell the truth about Otukpo and the crisis that lasted till the death of Bishop Ugede. If you don’t know ask Archbishop Akinola. He was there himself to dialogue with the breakaway members in the Cathedral. I am sure the Archbishop can explain better than me how his advice to these hostile people was ignored till Bishop Ugede died.

I did not flee Otukpo and I was not in possession of any money belonging to the Diocese. In fact I should be the one making claims from the Dioceses of Otukpo for faithfully serving and supporting Bishop Ugede and only to be sacked after his death.

Tunde you are directed to contact Archbishops, Bishop and the secretariat of the Joint Council of Knights to find out the truth about me and my Knighthood which you have refused to do but come here to post more slanders because you know you can get way with it.

Tell the editor of the Good Knight Magazine that all material was paid for. If there is still any balance to pay for the last set of Good Night Magazines he supplied while I was still in office, let him contact me and we can sort it out.

After I was sacked in 2003 I went back to Port-Harcourt and continued my life, worshiping in my church, St Cyprians Church Port-Harcourt. The present bishop of Otukpo was ordained as a bishop in my church but no one from Otukpo or the bishop himself lodged a complaint about me.

Tunde your accusations against me started after I have founded Changing Attitude Nigeria and we began to make a great impact in the church of Nigeria and wider society. Then you came up with a plan designed to discredit and rubbish my image.

My death means that I will, according to those who are attacking me, stop polluting Nigeria with homosexuality and that is what you want. If it is not what you want then speak out clearly against those who are attacking and threatening my life and stop telling your own lies about me.

Tunde began by slandering Davis with the Disclaimer he published, and he is adding more inventions to his slanders against Davis. Those reading this threat will make up their own minds whether Davis or Tunde are telling the truth. Many reading this in the UK, USA and Canada have had the opportunity to speak directly with Davis and question him. They will be able to assess Davis as to whether he is authentic or not. No-one here has had the opportunity to meet and question Tunde.

This thread follows the previous one in responding to the Open Letter Changing Attitude sent to the leadership team of GAFCON. The letter asked everyone in the Communion (and we had global south leaders in mind particularly) to be mindful of the words we use and the opinions we express when talking about LGBT people. We asked that all of us actively discourage any form of threatening behaviour so that we may all engage in respectful listening. Canon Chris Sugden acknowledged receipt of the letter but there has been no further reply or response from any member of the team. Nigeria is of course the country specifically in the frame here because in this instance the attacks have been perpetrated against gay Nigerians. One way of dealing with this tragedy is the Stand Firm way - to claim that Davis and myself have invented everything.

We didn’t specifically ask for a public response, but when two Nigerian Anglicans have been threatened and attacked because of their sexuality, I would have thought a letter stating categorically that violence against anyone because of their sexuality is utterly condemned. The leaders silence suggest an unwillingness to issue such a condemnation.

Instead, Tunde is the only person to have responded publicly. Perhaps the GAFCON leadership team has delegated him to respond on their behalf, and the additional attempts to defame Davis made by Tunde are part of their official response. Tunde’s lies about Davis become more laughable. But it is exactly because of the leadership team’s silence and Tunde’s continuing attacks on Davis that his life and the life of other LGBT Anglicans in West Africa remain critically at risk.

I don’t want a TA correspondence with Tunde. He adds to the problem, I want a clear statement from the GAFCON leaders that violence and threats against LGBT people are condemned.

Davis, Sorry I have to continue to interact with you publicly. My only attempt to privately get your side of the story before the disclaimer was misrepresented by you.

Your problem has to do with finance. Not Tunde’s lies but corroborated information from two serving bishops – Lafia and Otukpo, five teachers including your former assistant, three priests and two Otukpo knights. I am the person who informed them of your supposed homosexuality two full years after you claimed that was the reason you were sacked. Of course some in Otukpo who know you better still find it difficult to believe.

Now, you only complicate things by referring me to more and more people. Many know you as a nice man who was influential in the last two years of Bishop Ugede. The disclaimer confirms that. Stop inferring I denied it. Abp of Jos KNOWS YOU just as well as the editor and many others. If you owed the editor money six years ago, why not contact him yourself and apologise for defaulting instead of sending me. I can’t even tell him to contact you less it turns out to be the evidence you need that the church is after you.

I cannot remember meeting with you but will like to do so in order that we may speak as brothers. My duty and interest (whenever I have the time to take you serious) is to counteract the wrong impression you give about the Church in which God accepted you into his family, gave you a job without checking for your qualifications and entrusted you with money which disappeared and to which you have till date refused to explain.

Anyone listening to you will think we breathe and preach hatred. No. You want us to speak out against unlikely threats in order to give you undue attention. I have done enough of that. I do hope that Colin submitted the details of his threat text to the police in UK. The originating cell can be traced I believe, including other numbers that has been in communication with it. They should all be thoroughly investigated.

Colin 14/04 08
Let’s deal with the allegations of fraud and theft that you continue to make against Davis. You say information has been corroborated by two serving bishops, five teachers, three priests and two Otukpo knights. Although we have repeatedly asked you to produce evidence of theft, you have offered not one item. There was a two year period from the date of the alleged events before you (not anyone else in Otukpo or who knew Davis or had been involved with him) published the allegations in your Disclaimer. Davis was living and worshipping in Port Harcourt, but no attempt was made to question or arrest him. As you write, some in Otukpo who knew Davis find it difficult to believe. Of course they do, Tunde.

As to your last point, Tunde. The Wiltshire Police were informed of the first threat as soon as I received it on Monday 25 March from 002348070758712. PC 2335A came and interviewed me. His report was logged: 0119 24/03. I received a phone call later in the day from 0044 8063259294 which was also threatening.
On 27/03/08 I received another threatening phone call from 002348080923751, and later from 002348080923751 and at 17.23 a text message in which I was threatened with death, from 002348080923751. That evening I was interviewed by a sergeant who reported the events to Special Branch. The Occurrence no. for the incident is 54080025307.
On 1 April he reported the results of the Special Branch investigation. They had not been able to trace the calls to their source. He explained to me the skills of Nigerians in constantly changing phone and email numbers and details to cover their tracks. Tunde, the threatening texts and calls to me in the UK have been better investigated than your allegations against Davis.

Tunde, I didn’t misrepresent your Disclaimer, I denied it because it is all lies invented by you. You have constantly misrepresented me.

I have no problem with finance apart from your false allegations. I have asked you to produce evidence. You never have. You say you have corroborating information from the bishops of Lafia and Otukpo as well as five teachers, three priests and two Otukpo knights. What information? Please produce it for the world to see. Of course some in Otukpo find it difficult to believe. You have lied about me, Tunde. Of course many people know me Tunde. You should have been aware of that in December 2005 when you published your lies.

You keep introducing new lies Tunde. Now you introduce the lie that the editor of Good Knight claims I have yet to complete payment for materials collected from him six years ago. And then today you ask me to contact him and apologise. Tunde, you have just invented the story.

I am sad that you are creating such a terrible impression to the world of the Church of Nigeria. You publish lies to destroy my reputation and you keep adding to the lies and never produce evidence. You have not produced a single piece of evidence to support your allegations, Tunde. Now you add that I didn’t have qualifications as a teacher. I am well qualified for the tasks Bishop Ugede appointed me and that is why he chose me.

Most foul is your claim that I want you to speak out against unlikely threats. I and another leader have been assaulted Tunde. This is not about threats but attempts to kidnap and murder I don’t want undue attention, I want the Church of Nigeria to state clearly and strongly that threats against lesbian and gay people and physical attacks are totally condemned. Instead you return every time to add more attacks on me.
Tunde, you are proving I told the truth when I said many bishops and people in the Church of Nigeria know me well. At first you denied it. Now you are claiming them to prove your lies. They will prove my truth

Where have you spoken out against threats, Tunde? Where have you told Nigerian Anglicans that to issue threats and attack and beat up people is wicked? Tell the people reading you on Thinking Anglicans.

On other occasions, I have noted Tunde's limited competence as a professional communicator.

I see in this thread that he has learned at least one lesson from the world of political spin.

In hardball politics, the correct response to "you're fat" is not "I'm not fat," but rather, "you're bald."

The topic is the open letter to the GAFFEPRONE bishops calling on htem to eschew inflammatory language which could incite violence.

But Tunde has managed to make this a thread about whether or not Davis Mac-Iyalla is or is not an ecclesiastical knight of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

Tunde is also a smidge smarter than his boss. So far, he hasn't called Davis "cancer," "satanic" or "less than human" even once.

On TA on 7 April 2006 Tunde posted about Davis:

“Enquires at the bishop’s office (in Otukpo) were met with denial of any knight or layreader by your names. The Bishop and his staff never heard of you.” “I only accepted your existence when the bishop said one of the older priests told him of a so named ‘son’ of Bp. Ugede.”

Now Tunde writes about all these people who knew Davis, including two bishops (one the current bishop of Otukpo), five teachers, three priests and two knights..

Who is lying? Who has reinvented his story and added more lies every time he comes to Thinking Anglicans and posts?

No need to quote me out of context. The Otukpo people found it hard to believe Davis is homosexual.

The context of my April 2006 post was explaining a sequence of events which led to the December 2005 disclaimer. The initial reaction to enquires about a knight and layreader was met by a denial of such a person because the bishop and the staff I spoke with on phone never met such a person. His name was also not on the staff list. He had disappeared two years earlier before they resumed in the office. I did say it was my persistence that made the story of the runaway come back to light. Anyone who knows that the focus of the Church of Nigeria is all about spreading the Gospel to millions who are yet to hear it will understand why Iyalla was and even today is a forgotten issue.

Thanks for the numbers. I just succeeded in confirming that 002348080923751 is still active. Male voice answered my call to it. The Cell provider is Celtel Nigeria (http://www.ng.celtel.com/en/ ). I still believe the user can be tracked down (hope he does not get tipped off by someone reading this old blog entry) I have read of criminals being tracked with phone numbers even in Nigeria. It should be easy to locate where he lives, works and frequents from the cell sites registered for most calls. Even if he now dumps the number, the numbers he regularly communicates with can still be traced if the police move fast on this criminal case of issuance of death threats. The UK number? threats from Nigeria?

Hold on to this for you next Trivial Pursuit game:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale

Frank William Abagnale, Jr. (born April 26, 1948) is a former check confidence trickster, forger and impostor who, for five years in the 1960s, passed bad checks worth more than $2.1 million in 26 countries. During this time, he used at least eight aliases to cash bad checks. Currently he runs Abagnale and Associates, a financial fraud consultancy company. His life story provided the inspiration for the feature film Catch Me if You Can, based on his ghostwritten biography of the same name.

Davis you directed me to confirm from the editor. I only told you what he remembered about you. He also remembered you were in a cassock on the day of the investiture, but collected someone’s headgear after the programme to take pictures some of which he still has in his possession. I did not invent all these. Only reporting what I am told. If you want me to get his evidence, answer YES to the following
1. Were you dressed as a knight that day nine people were knighted in Otukpo?
2. Was your name on the programme as one to be knighted?
3. Did you pay for all materials you collected from him?
I have never met you and everything I have said about you has been what I was told by people who know you or have been affected by you. Why don’t you take the trouble to confirm from them instead of affirming what was never denied? For instance I did not say above that you are not qualified. I said your qualifications were not checked. I could not see your documents in Otukpo because I was told nobody asked for them before you were employed. Did you submit any? Everything about you was a direct order from the dying bishop I was told. Why?

Tunde wrote: “No need to quote me out of context. The Otukpo people found it hard to believe Davis is homosexual.”

I suppose the context was your demonizing of Davis Mac-Iyalla? Surely, the demonizing was what the Otukpo people had difficulty believe.

One of the draw backs of a pre Modern culture is that people don’t answer back. This lack of normal feed-back puts all the onus on one’s own l i s t e n i n g abilities…

; = )

Oh Tunde, I hope you will come up with all your slander in one list so I can respond and move forward with other things in life.

You sound as if it is not a person that is been knighted but a uniform. I conducted the Services that day and dressed in my Lay Reader Uniform. Is there any offence about that? But later changed to my Knighthood Uniform. Yes the picture was taking with me only putting on my knight cap because there was no time for me to fully go and change during the services as the conductor. The so called editor talking to you later published more than one article of me being Knighted and congratulating me. I have copies of all his publications about me and Otukpo. Is he now collaborating with you to deny me or this are just more of your special design to attack me?

We were 10 of us Knighted and not 9. Which of the Knights would lend me his cap to pose for picture? Then the same photo and video which was taking should be able to identity your claims. I am in possession of the video of that time from Friday to Sunday.

Did the President of the Joint Council of Knights who read the lesson and the secretary and President of the Council of Knights Diocese of Enugu who attended also tell you I was not Knighted?

Tunde you have turned the issue here to politics and goings on in many areas that will surely lead to proper investigations in Otukpo. Yes every marital was paid for or is this part of another design to discredit and link me with fraud?

You can direct those people you claim are talking to contact me directly if they have any issues with me.You have never met me but doing all your best to rubbish my image just because I am a Nigerian gay Anglican.

Denounce violence and hate language against anyone including LGBT and stop making false allegations of what I am and I am not.

And, for the last time, PROVE what you are claiming. It is not up to me to reply to one slanderous mail after the other, but it is up to you to provide actual proof that would stand up in a court of law.

Tunde, despite your distraction, I'd like to return to the actual topic.

Are you, as a priest and as a communications advisor, prepared to advise your boss to stop using evil, hatefilled, dehumanizing language about homosexual persons?

Are you, as a priest and as a communications advisor, prepared to tell your boss that referring to homosexual persons as "satanic," as "cancer," as "less than human" serves to advance neither effective communications nor the Gospel?

A simple "yes" or "no" will suffice.

Thanks Davis. I hope I am safe to believe from your answers above that;

1. No. You were not dressed as a knight on the only day people were knighted in Otukpo.
2. No. Your name was not listed as one of the knight-elects
3. Yes. You purchased all materials the knights needed and paid for them all.

Somehow without being listed to be knighted, you have pictures and video of your being knighted and surprisingly also had a set of uniforms ready! Congratulations. You must have had a lot of foresight to be so prepared. Why did you not include your name on the order of service you printed? Again you are the only Lay-Reader I have heard of in the Church of Nigeria who conducts (leads) a diocesan service while priests, deacons (if any) and two bishops sit in.

I also need to move on Davis. It has not been very pleasant having to write you publicly. I just want you to remember the Nigerian adage that “even if lies travel for twenty years, truth will one day catch up”

The truth will one day be known that you wielded undue influence over a sick bishop and more or less took over the diocese as administrator of the school, cathedral and anything that involved money only to disappear after the death of the bishop with a lot of diocesan money allegedly lodged in your own bank account and other vices. Other truths concerning many false impressions you give about a Church helped you will also be known soon.

I pray for God to have mercy on you.

Malcom et al . For the records, Yes I’d give advice if it ever becomes necessary. For now I hardly hear him speak the words ‘homosexual’ or ‘gay’ His major passion now is for those yet to hear the gospel and for tomorrow’s church to still believe and live according to the Scriptures. I am yet to see documents containing the phrases most attributed to him like “less than human”. “Homosexuals are satanic”. (I understand however why you can come to that conclusion but this archbishop does not hate you as such a conclusion will suggest) Most Nigerian Christians still believe that God designed sexual intercourse to be only between a man and his wife. Sex outside heterosexual monogamist marriage is considered SIN whether it is fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality or lesbianism. As long as we believe that, you may realize why we are appalled that the Church which should be rebuking sin is actually promoting it.

I really have to leave this tread now. Work is piling up on my desk unattended to.

Again, Tunde, if I might draw you back to the actual topic here.

The topic is not Davis Mac-Iyalla. The Topic is the use of language by some of the GAFCON bishops which is incendiary and could be taken to condone or even to promote violence against homosexual persons - even if not so intended.

Therefore, I ask again:

Are you, as a priest and as a communications advisor, prepared to advise your boss to stop using evil, hatefilled, dehumanizing language about homosexual persons?

Are you, as a priest and as a communications advisor, prepared to tell your boss that referring to homosexual persons as "satanic," as "cancer," as "less than human" serves to advance neither effective communications nor the Gospel?

A simple "yes" or "no" will suffice.

What is Tunde trying to do? Prove his earlier accusations against Davis? He started back in 2005 claiming that Davis was fraudulent, wasn’t gay, wasn’t known to the church, wasn’t a member of the Anglican Church, had defrauded the Diocese of Otukpo, was wanted by the police for running off with church and school funds, wielded undue influence over a sick bishop, etc.

Tunde most damaging claim has been that Davis disappeared with a lot of diocesan money. When he first made the allegation he was asked to provide evidence. He said that he had documentary evidence but had been advised not to release it until it was produced in court. In the 2 years since then Tunde has produced not a single piece of evidence. In his last post Tunde write about “diocesan money allegedly lodged” in Davis’s bank account. It was Tunde that made the allegations. No other person has ever publicly accused Davis of any of these things.

Tunde has added a new allegation. Fraudulent use of material for Knight’s uniforms. I don’t understand the detail of the wearing and not wearing of uniforms and the list of new Knight’s names in the order of service. I have seen the photographs, they are on the CA web site.

Tunde is focussing on something utterly trivial (and I am sure that as with everything else he is totally wrong) when gay men are being attacked in Nigeria and Togo and I am being threatened with death in the UK. These are the tactics of the man who is Director of Communications for the Church of Nigeria.

Tunde diverts attention onto trivia and continues to try and undermine Davis’s reputation. Meanwhile, still not one single GAFCON leadership team member or global south leader has condemned the violence or affirmed that language about LGBT people needs to be moderate.

This thread will end, attention will move elsewhere, and LGBT lives will still be at risk.

A simple Yes or No will indicate an acknowlodgement I am not prepared to give. I think my answer above is clear enough.

I remember such questions from my school days 'Have you stopped beating your parents? Yes or No.'

This has been a quite extraordinary thread to read, with allegations of a criminal nature being made by the Director of Communications of one of the world's largest Anglican churches. If Canon Popoola were in England he would almost certainly have left himself open to being sued for defamation.

Unfortunately for him, such intimidatory behaviour just makes the complaints of the persecuted LGBT Christians seem all the more plausible.

Tunde

So, for the record, pulling the last two posts in your conversation with Malcolm+ together, the exchange is as follows:

M: Are you, as a priest and as a communications advisor, prepared to advise your boss to stop using evil, hatefilled, dehumanizing language about homosexual persons?

Are you, as a priest and as a communications advisor, prepared to tell your boss that referring to homosexual persons as "satanic," as "cancer," as "less than human" serves to advance neither effective communications nor the Gospel?

A simple "yes" or "no" will suffice.

T: A simple Yes or No will indicate an acknowlodgement I am not prepared to give.

Now, on 5th September 2007 The Anglican Bishop of Uyo, Rt. Rev. Isaac Orama, has condemned the activities of homosexuals and lesbians, and described those engaged in them as "insane people''. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) given on 2 September 2007 he said: "Homosexuality and lesbianism are inhuman. Those who practice them are insane, satanic and are not fit to live because they are rebels to God's purpose for man.”

Archbishop Akinola did not condemn these statements.

In March 2003 he commented the proposed appointment of Jeffery John as Bishop of Reading “'This is an attack on the Church of God - a Satanic attack on God's church. I cannot think of how a man in his senses would be having a sexual relationship with another man. Even in the world of animals, dogs, cows, lions, we don't hear of such”

I note again that you do not wish to acknowledge that these are examples of using and condoning dehumanising and hate-filled language.

Thank you. You’ve made yourself perfectly clear.

Tunde's work is piling up while he engages on this thread and continues to make unsubstantiated allegations against Davis with the intention of destroying Davis's character. In this he has, in the eyes of many succeeded - take a glance at Stand Firm. Most there believe Davis is a liar and Tunde tells the truth. What Tunde is doing is deeply shocking and sinful.

What Davis and I - gay men - are, Tunde believes is sinful, which he links with bestiality. It is links such as this, and the notion that being gay is a worse sin than telling lies, which gives people who have been attacking Davis and others the idea that they are doing the will of God in attempting to murder or abduct someone.

Has this engagement with Tunde taken us anywhere further? It has shown him to be relentless in adding lie to lie in his attempt to destroy Davis. It has shown him to be obsessed with the issue. It shows the obsession of the Church of Nigeria with homosexuality, despite Tunde's claims to the contrary.

Just for the record, I am a priest and, in my secular work, a public relations practitioner. Were I asked those two questions, I would have no hesitation giving an unqualified "yes." Both morally and strategically, I would advise my boss that such tactics, in addition to being sinful, are counterproductive.

Now, Tunde does make one fair point. The first question presupposes that the boss has previously used "evil, hatefilled, dehumanizing language." Since Tunde wants to deny that his boss have ever done such a thing, he perceives that a "yes" to that question would affirm an implication he does not want to affirm. Fair enough. Were I in that position, my answer to that question would be:

"My boss has never used such language, and I certainly would never advise or condone such language."

But then, I am a professional communicator and Tunde, whatever his appointment or other talents, manifestly is not.

For reference, the two questions were:

1) Are you, as a priest and as a communications advisor, prepared to advise your boss to stop using evil, hatefilled, dehumanizing language about homosexual persons?

2) Are you, as a priest and as a communications advisor, prepared to tell your boss that referring to homosexual persons as "satanic," as "cancer," as "less than human" serves to advance neither effective communications nor the Gospel?

Oh, and one more thing for the record, Tunde. I'm not gay. I just believe that dehumanizing people is wrong.

Malcolm+

"My boss has never used such language, and I certainly would never advise or condone such language."

You would only be able to make such a statement if it was true. Tunde does not have that option, as the 2 quotes I found within only 5 minutes of searching archives readily show that Akinols DOES use defamatory language and that he DOES condone its use.

Erika
I respectfully suggest you follow up on the allegations you make about Bishop Orama. He denied making the statements and the Nigerian reporter printed a retraction.

Erica said: "You would only be able to make such a statement if it was true."

Indeed. The first rule of public relations is "don't lie." There are two reasons for this. One is that it's wrong. The important reason is that it doesn't work. And even if it does work for a while, it will be found out eventually and the damage to reputation will be far greater due to the lie.

Dan
Bishop Orama denied making these statements at Synod, something that had never been claimed anyway.
Apparently, he spoke directly to a reporter. Later, after international pressure increased, a terribly badly worded disorganised statement from a reporter (with no means of verifying whether it was the one who wrote the eloquent article)appeared, accepting that the statement had not been made.

For a nuanced development of this start with TA thread: http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002605.html

However,

If the retraction was genuine and if Bishop Orama has never made those remarks, of course I apologise sincerely and unreservedly for misquoting and misrepresenting him.

Nevertheless, at no time has ++Akinola (and it is he we are actually still talking about here), ever said that words like the ones reported are not acceptable. Nor has Bishop Orama said that he would never make comments like that.

You see, Dan, the difficulty is that these people never strongly say that anti-gay hate speech is wrong. And the anti gay legislation Akinola tried so hard to push through parliament last year does not make him appear to "love the sinner" either, in fact, he even appears to want to punish those who associate with the sinner.

It really is not hard to see why people do not see him as the loving Christian he claims to be, and it is not hard to see why we believe Davis and Colin rather than Tunde.

Many people don't really understand the significance of the abhorent legislation Akinola was pushing in Nigeria.

The legislation did not make homosexual acts illegal. Homosexual acts are already criminal offenses in Nigeria.

No, the legislation was about silencing homosexuals and their friends.

The legislation would have made it illegal for homosexuals to meet - even for a non-sexual purpose.

And it would have made it a criminal offence, punishable by up to five years in prison, to say "I don't think homosexuality shoulod be a criminal offence."

Here is the response from Nigeria you all have so desperately awaited:
http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/index.php/2008/04/18/response-to-alleged-attacks-on-changing-attitude-leaders-in-nigeria-archbishop-benjamin-kwashi/

Posted by: Dan on Friday, 18 April 2008 at 2:29pm BST
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...now there is a less-than-honorable denial of reality if we ever read one...do these folks in global south really think we are going to accept such shallow and evasive facesaving emptiness like dan seems all puffed up about...one wonders when reality is going to crash through biggoted barriers and become part of everyday life...for those who still wish to play pretend at the expense of others, other people who are the recipients of crimes of hate, we hope they realize they are/become accessories to violence and are guilty as charged.