ABUJA, Nigeria Early on Saturday, August 10, in the Niger state of central Nigeria, Muslims set fire to a church, according to sources.
According to Associate Pastor Samson Ogbebor, Muslims have destroyed the worship auditorium at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) congregation in Kontagora town twice; the second time it happened at around three in the morning.
Pastor Ogbebor told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News, “When I got there, I saw a church burning down and hoodlums looting the properties inside.” “I got a distress call that our church was on fire.”
“This church has faced lots of challenges—about ten years ago, some Muslim hoodlums came and burned it down completely, and through self-efforts, we were able to rebuild the worship sanctuary.”
Muslims in Kontagora had made several unsuccessful attempts to prevent the congregation from constructing the worship auditorium, he said.
“We eventually completed the church building, but they have not relented in their opposition to allowing us as Christians to have a place of worship in the town,” Pastor Ogbebor said. “For a second time, they have burned down the sanctuary.”
Church member Markus Emmanuel said he rushed to the site after receiving a call about the fire at Champion Parish in Kontagora.
Emmanuel told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that the building had completely burned down. “Some residents close to the church building told us that they saw a group of Muslims who came into the church premises and set fire to the building.”
Emmanuel claimed the structure had burned down ten years prior and was still under construction.
A group of radicalized Muslims destroyed a worship center undergoing rebuilding ten years ago because they disagreed with the proposed church. He claimed that this was the second destruction of our place of worship.
Church deacon John Aboje urged Muslim leaders in Kontagora Local Government Area, which is predominately Muslim, to take action to protect Christians’ freedom to practice their faith.
According to Aboje, the Kontagora Muslim Emirate and the state government “simply want to beg the matter to be looked into by forcing the offenders to allow freedom of worship.”
The Rev. Bulus Dauda Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter, confirmed the destruction of the worship auditorium in a statement issued on Saturday (August 10).
“The destruction of the RCCG worship building is not only barbaric and unwarranted but also a harrowing experience for the Christian community in Kontagora town,” Yohanna said. “There’s a need for government officials in Kontagora to take strict measures to end such ungodly activities of fanatics. This incident has created religious tension.”
Christians were hoping that the law would take its course, he said.
“It is honestly necessary to address these kinds of problems, find the guilty parties, and prosecute them,” Yohanna stated.
Gov. Mohammed Bago’s media assistant, Aisha Wakaso, issued a statement in which the governor denounced the demolition of the church structure.
“We denounce this action and inform our Christian compatriots and other Niger State residents that the government places a high priority on their safety, security, and religious freedom,” Wakaso uttered. “Our state utilizes its diversity and the peaceful coexistence of all religious and ethnic groups. We will not condone this stupid act of violence.”
He said the governor has requested that all relevant security agencies conduct an immediate and complete inquiry into the attack.
“We have no doubt that the people responsible for this horrific arson will be apprehended and dealt with accordingly,” Wakaso declared. “The administration will ensure the guilty parties receive the harshest punishment possible.
We call on the people of Niger State and Kontagora to remain peaceful and abstain from retaliation or acts of violence. Let us keep working together to protect the unity and serenity that characterize our fantastic country.”
In the 2024 WWL of the countries where it is most challenging to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as in the previous year.
Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report. More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300.
Nigeria was also the third highest country in the number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings, such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report.