ABUJA—At least one person died, Monday, as irate youths set ablaze
Baptist Church at Gidan Maso village in Rogo Local Government Area of Kano
State, while the residence of the pastor, Rev Habila Garba, was also burnt.
This came barely a week after
unidentified arsonists attacked a branch of Living Faith Church, popularly
called Winners Chapel, at Giwa in Kaduna State.
The deceased, one of the pastor’s
daughters, was said to have died of suffocation as parts of the house were
destroyed by the fire, which resulted from the attack at about 7:30p.m.
President of Tarayyar Masihiyawan
Nijeria (Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri Christians), General Ishaku Ahmed Dikko
(retd), told newsmen yesterday in Abuja that the intention was to kill one
youth, Yahaya Joshua, who converted to Islam but later reverted to
Christianity.
Dikko, in a statement, called on the
state government to live up to its statutory responsibility of ensuring
protection of lives and property.
Narrating the incident, he said:
“The Baptist Church at Gidan Maso village of Rogo Local Government Area in Kano
State was set on fire by youths of the village on April 1 at about 7:30p.m.
“The church and all the properties
were burnt down in the presence of the Christian community despite all
pleadings for them to stop the destruction.
“The arsonists gathered cornstalks,
put them inside the church before setting it ablaze. This made the action to
seem deliberate and for ulterior motives.
“The Christians present exhibited
great Christian qualities by not taking the law into their hands by trying to
stop them by force.
“Rather than see reason, the
arsonist were infuriated which led to setting the house of the pastor, Rev
Habila Garba, ablaze as well.
“One of the pastor’s daughters died
of suffocation and most parts of the house destroyed.
“They also attacked and wounded Bawa
Adamu and Aminu Dauda, who received machete cuts leading to broken arms. Others
received similar wounds, but of lesser degrees.
“The cause of the barbaric act was
to kill one youth, Yahaya Joshua, who converted to Islam but later on reverted
back to Christianity.
“He had escaped on learning of the
plan to kill him. They therefore set the Church and Pastor’s house on fire and
went about maiming and wounding any Christian they saw.
“The incidence was immediately
reported to the Police and the District Head at Rogo. No information has been
received about the action taken or if any arrests were made.
“However, all the wounded know and can
identify their attackers by name since they all belong to the same village.
“The Tarayyar Masihiyawan Nigeriya
is calling on the authorities to take the necessary steps to stem or stop all
these harassments and molestations of innocent Christians for whatever reasons.
“We have the right to belong to any
religion of our choice and live anywhere in this country.
“We call on the authorities at all
levels to rise up to their responsibilities to protect lives and properties of
every citizen in this country.”
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