The Kaduna state chapter Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has disclosed that 23 pastors were killed, while 200 churches were shut down in the state by bandits in the past four years.
The state Chairman of the association, Rev. John Hayab, stated this on Tuesday, at an emergency meeting between the State Commissioner of Police, Musa Garba, and Christian clerics across the state.
The meeting which held at Albraka Baptist Church, Kaduna, was to discuss how to collaborate with the church to tackle the spate of insecurity in the state.
Hayab said, a pastor who was kidnapped on August 8th, 2023, told the CAN leadership that there are over 215 Christians abducted by the bandits in Birnin Gwani forest. “They are still there and the pastor told us that the bandits asked him to lead prayers for the 215 Christians while he was in their den”, the CAN Chairman said.
He called on the police commissioner to look into this issue among many others holistically to build the confidence of the people once again.
“We have lost over 23 pastors to bandits in Kaduna in the last few years. The recent one was the killing of Reverend Jeremiah Wayo when he went to his farm in Kujama in Chikun Local Government Area.
“He hails from Kano State and he was serving God in Kaduna when the bandits shot and killed him. He was buried last Monday”, Hayab said.
Speaking further, he said, “the unfortunate incident that happened in Fadan Kamantan also added to the number of God’s servants that bandits have killed in Kaduna State.
“Let me say this to you, Commissioner, that over 200 churches have been shut down by bandits.
“The Baptist church probably has over 100 of their churches shut down. From Birnin Gwari to Chikun and Kajuru, the churches are no longer there.
“If you go to many churches you see pastors that came from churches that have been shut down because they cannot continue with it.”
In his response, the commissioner condemned the recent attack on St. Rachael Parish, Fadan Kamatan, Zangon Kataf LGA of the state, calling on Christian clerics to pray for the sustainability of lasting peace in the state.
Garba who noted that not only the Christians were victims of the bandits, said people of other faiths were also victims to similar attacks by the hoodlums.
He said whoever engages in any act of criminality should be addressed as a criminal without profiling him or her as a Christian, Muslim or by their tribes or ethnicity.
The police commissioner expressed his condolences to the family of the Catholic Seminarian that was killed by bandits at Kamantan
He said, “It is unfortunate that the CAN chairman mentioned about 23 clergies that were killed by bandits in Kaduna State at various times. It is unfortunate.
“However, this thing has been happening not only to the Christian clergies, but it happened to almost everybody because crimes have no tribe, no religion. Criminals have no compassion, criminals are evil.
“If they want to do what they want to do they don’t look at who you are.
“Just a week before the Kamantan incident, bandits went to a village in Ikara LGA and killed the Imam and his deputy in a mosque while they were praying.
“You know this time around insecurity is all over the country and all over the world. “That is why in the book of Mathew 26: 41 says watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptations, the spirit is willing, but flesh is weakened. So this time around, what is left for us is to pray.
“We, the security agencies, are trying our best to fight crimes. That is why I said we are doing something different. I sat down in my office and looked at the situation in the state”.
The police commissioner said the command is committed to ridding off crimes in the state and charged the clergies to always volunteer useful information to assist command so as to protect lives and property.
