Bern, November 21, 2012. [CD-EUD News]. During a press conference at its headquarters in Lomé, Pastor Roger Guy, president of l’Union du Sahel (Union of Sahel) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Adventists), denounced "the imprisonment without tangible proof" of one of its pastors, Antonio Monteiro dos Anjos, in the killing of 20 young girls in the areas of Agoè- Nyivé and Guénécopé. Pastor Antonio Monteiro Dos Anjos of Cape Verdean origin, was arrested on March 14, 2012 and on March 28th confined to the civil prison of Lomé. “This is an unprecedented media lynching," denounced pastor Guy.
Simliya Kossi Kpatcha, the alleged serial killer of young girls in Lomé, cited Pastor Antonio Monteiro Dos Anjos. Simliya Kossi Kpatcha had allegedly confirmed to the gendarmerie "to be working for” Pastor Antonio Monteiro dos Anjos, who "asked for human blood". Adventists deny the involvement of Pastor Monteiro in the killing of the young girls in Lomé. (Togo on-line)
Worldwide Seventh-day Adventist
President, Pastor Ted Wilson, visited Togo recently, trying to bring relief to Pastor Antonio Montiero and brother Bruno Amah, who was arrested with him. Pastor Montiero is from the Cape Verde Islands and is working with the Sahel Union of Seventh-day Adventists as a department director based in Lome. Bruno Amah is a Seventh-day Adventist church member and businessman in Lome."
"When we met them,” said Pastor Ted Wilson, “they gave tremendous testimonies of how God has a work for them in the prison and how they are making an effort to help people there.”
Monteiro and Amah are reading their Bibles, praying, singing, counselling, studying with others, witnessing for the Lord, bringing peace into the prison and standing like ‘modern-day Josephs in jail’ despite very difficult conditions. The other prisoners have indicated that since they have been present, there isn’t so much fighting among the prisoners anymore.
Both Friday night, November 16th (at a church meeting), and Saturday night, November 17th (at the Montiero home), Pastor Wilson and his Adventist delegation met the Montiero family to encourage them and pray with them.
In meeting with officials and trying to intervene somehow, much has been done by the Togo Mission, the Sahel Union, the West-Central Africa Division, the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty of Adventist Church and the General Conference administration, together to bring this situation to a successful conclusion. “However, they continue to endure in prison" said President Wilson.
The Adventist church is doing what it can, at different levels and through various channels to assist in releasing these men. There is no evidence against them and almost everyone acknowledges that they are innocent and should be released.
"God is all powerful and we need to ask, according to His will, for His supernatural intervention for the release of our two brothers,” Wilson said “We are asking the entire world Seventh-day Adventist Church to join in prayer and fasting on December 1.”
More than 5,300 Adventists attend 40 churches in Togo. They deny "esoteric, criminal and bloodthirsty practices”, this causes deep distrust and will seriously harm the image of the church.
The Union of Sahel with headquarters in Lomé is the regional representation of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, covering nine French-speaking countries and two Lusophones of West Africa.
