Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) congregation in this Plateau state
town have been displaced after Muslim extremists set their church
building and some homes on fire last month.
The Rev. Ishaku
Danyok of the church told Compass that the April 29 incident occurred
after Muslims approached Christian music shop owner Gabriel Kiwase and
told him that his music was disturbing them as they said their prayers.
The
young Christian man “quietly switched off the music set, and then the
Muslims left, only to return about 20 minutes later to burn down the
music shop and then go on rampage, burning down houses belonging to some
Christians in the town,” Danyok said.
The pastor of the
church of 85 members told Compass that their building, his own home and
the property of five other Christians in the town were damaged in the
hour-long attack.
“We brought in estate managers to work
out the cost of properties belonging to our church that were destroyed
in this attack, and we were told that we lost properties worth more than
29,347,215 naira [US$184,520],” he said.
The pastor’s family, his wife and four children were left homeless, he said.
“We
are now squatters with another family, as we lost everything to the
fire,” he said, praising God that his family members were not hurt in
the attack.
Other Christians who lost property included
Joseph Sarauta, Jonathan Madugu, Asabe Istifanus, Samuel Girma, and
Sunday Gwantu, Yahuza Damisa, Amos Luka, and the Rev. Christopher Dare.
These Christians, Danyok said, are from his church, a Roman Catholic
parish and Deeper Life Bible Church in Dengi town.
Danyok
said that as a result of the destruction, most members of his church
have fled the town, reducing attendance at services to 50.
“They
have fled to other towns, thereby reducing our numbers,” he explained.
“We currently worship in the destroyed church building with no roof to
shield us from the sun and the rains.”
Dengi town is predominantly Muslim, with Christians making up less than 10 percent of its population.
“In this town, we live under Muslim rulers,” Danyok said, adding that only one of the 20 town council members is Christian.
According
to Christian leaders in the town under the auspices of the Christian
Association of Nigeria, the assault on Christians was premeditated and
well-planned.
“The misunderstanding with the owner of the
Christian music shop was only used as a smokescreen to enable them carry
out the attack against us,” Danyok told Compass.
Attacks
on Christians in the town go back to 2001, when the only Christian to
ever become a council chairperson, identified only as Nimfel, was
murdered following an outbreak of violence between Muslims and
Christians in Plateau State, central Nigeria.
In 2003, two other Christians, including one identified only as Habila, were murdered.
Danyok said he believes that God has allowed such attacks on Christians in the town for a purpose that will glorify Him.
“We believe that God wants to strengthen us through these incidents,” he said.
