Hoodlums Invade Katsina Churches During Protest

Over 205 chairs, musical instruments, and other valuables worth millions of naira were taken from churches in Katsina State on the first day of the ongoing nationwide demonstration by suspected hoodlums.

According to reports, the bandits broke into a Living Faith Church located in the Daura Local Government Area of the state and stole 205 seats, musical instruments, and other expensive stuff valued at millions of naira.

The church’s senior pastor, David Sarki, verified the occurrence to our correspondent in Katsina on Sunday, August 4, and stated that the incident prevented the church service from taking place.

“Because the hoodlums took everything inside the church on the first day of the protest, they decided to worship at their various home cells,” pastor Sarki said.

“We have two security personnel working in the church; one was on duty while the other was off. When the protest began around 10:00 am, the hoodlums just diverted to the church, many of them in Keke Napep (tricycle), broke the door and windows and entered the church auditorium.

“They took everything inside the church auditorium, including the wall digital clock, musical instruments, pulpit, pastor’s chairs, plastic chairs, a desktop computer at the reception, and a scoreboard where the accountant usually kept church documents. They scattered everything.

“Three churches were their target. They succeeded in invading the Living Faith Church and Deeper Life, but couldn’t gain access to the third one, which is the Anglican Church, because of the strong protection at the gate

“We have informed the police and the army about it, and the police told us yesterday that they have made some arrests.

“I am surprised by this attack. When we are thinking about ending bad governance protests, which have now escalated to the invasion of churches, it is something that everyone should seriously condemn. It is not food that we store in the house of God; it is a place of worship. Why is it only a church? The government should come to the reality that they are serving humanity, and God will judge us all, whether political or religious leaders.

“My prayer for the perpetrators is that they should repent from what they are doing because for you to enter a church, a place of worship, is wrong, and you know you are not fighting, man. They should seek repentance. I know God is forgiving, and He will forgive them,” he added.

According to Nelson Onyekachuku, the pastor of Power of Resurrection in Katsina State, vandals broke into his church because they were unable to enter the structure because of the iron guards at the church gate.

The previous state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Katsina, Onyekachuku, strongly denounced the move and said that they shouldn’t exacerbate the suffering of the church.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli