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Quote from: nametalkam on 24-04-2011 01:53 AM
The unfortunate post presidential poll violence which swept through several states in the North came as a shock to the Christian community in Katsina which lost no fewer than seven lives and about 65 churches. This disclosure was made by the state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, Dr. Oluwasegun Adediran.
“We were touched when we saw the damage suffered by our brethren in Funtua, Malumfashi and Kankara among other towns. We could hardly believe what our eyes have seen. May be because as far as we know Katsina, such a thing has never happened, especially since I came to Katsina that is why when it happened, it threw us off balance. “So, we are feeling the pains. We must call a spade a spade; if we say we are not feeling the pains, we are not human. Most of our churches have been destroyed, most of our churches were looted and a number of lives were lost,” Adediran told The Sun.
He said a tentative figure of the churches that were burnt should be between 60 and 65, adding that the number of shops and value of property lost to the disaster could not easily be estimated. “Almost all the churches in Funtua and Malumfashi were affected. As we understand, nine churches were affected in Daura, and three in Knakara and talk less of the churches in Jibiya and other places,” he further noted.
While, he was still inspecting the ruins, some old women who came to one of the affected churches in Malumfashi could not hold back their tears. One of the women who was simply identified as Iya Tunde said amidst tears: “Seeing all these; the burnt churches, property and lives lost, it gives us pains. We are seeing Katsina differently from what we have always known.” Apart from the places of worship that were destroyed, the Katsina State police command says over seven vehicles, some restaurants and private schools were destroyed in Funtua.
The state commissioner of police, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed said about 40 inmates escaped from Malumfashi prison when demonstrators broke into the prison. No fewer than 19 vehicles and over 11 houses were burnt down in Malumfashi including the government council secretariat. The commissioner of police confirmed the arrest of over 100 persons in connection with the destruction of public and private property in Katsina metropolis and some parts of the state. Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed also confirmed that the command had recovered some goods stolen in some shops broken into by the hoodlums in Katsina metropolis.
The police boss who disclosed the arrest of a 28 year old man, identified as Abdulkadir Yahaya, for pouring hot palm oil on the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Rimi Local Government during the violence, assured that the command would not fold its hands and allow such in-human attitude to continue in the state.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Ibrahim Shema, had ordered an indefinite curfew in the state from 9.00 pm till 7.00 am in the wake of the violence.
The governor who registered his commiserations and condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and valuable property over the crisis promised that the military and other security agencies had been mobilized to avert any possible out break of violence again in the state.
“We were touched when we saw the damage suffered by our brethren in Funtua, Malumfashi and Kankara among other towns. We could hardly believe what our eyes have seen. May be because as far as we know Katsina, such a thing has never happened, especially since I came to Katsina that is why when it happened, it threw us off balance. “So, we are feeling the pains. We must call a spade a spade; if we say we are not feeling the pains, we are not human. Most of our churches have been destroyed, most of our churches were looted and a number of lives were lost,” Adediran told The Sun.
He said a tentative figure of the churches that were burnt should be between 60 and 65, adding that the number of shops and value of property lost to the disaster could not easily be estimated. “Almost all the churches in Funtua and Malumfashi were affected. As we understand, nine churches were affected in Daura, and three in Knakara and talk less of the churches in Jibiya and other places,” he further noted.
While, he was still inspecting the ruins, some old women who came to one of the affected churches in Malumfashi could not hold back their tears. One of the women who was simply identified as Iya Tunde said amidst tears: “Seeing all these; the burnt churches, property and lives lost, it gives us pains. We are seeing Katsina differently from what we have always known.” Apart from the places of worship that were destroyed, the Katsina State police command says over seven vehicles, some restaurants and private schools were destroyed in Funtua.
The state commissioner of police, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed said about 40 inmates escaped from Malumfashi prison when demonstrators broke into the prison. No fewer than 19 vehicles and over 11 houses were burnt down in Malumfashi including the government council secretariat. The commissioner of police confirmed the arrest of over 100 persons in connection with the destruction of public and private property in Katsina metropolis and some parts of the state. Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed also confirmed that the command had recovered some goods stolen in some shops broken into by the hoodlums in Katsina metropolis.
The police boss who disclosed the arrest of a 28 year old man, identified as Abdulkadir Yahaya, for pouring hot palm oil on the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Rimi Local Government during the violence, assured that the command would not fold its hands and allow such in-human attitude to continue in the state.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Ibrahim Shema, had ordered an indefinite curfew in the state from 9.00 pm till 7.00 am in the wake of the violence.
The governor who registered his commiserations and condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and valuable property over the crisis promised that the military and other security agencies had been mobilized to avert any possible out break of violence again in the state.