Pandemonium in Sokoto, rioters vandalise churches

May 14, 2022

3.3 min readCategories: News
  •  As Muslim protesters clash with security operatives

Rampaging hoodlums on Saturday torched and vandalised at least two parishes presided over by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah, The PUNCH has learnt.

The Director, Social Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr Christopher Omotosho, confirmed the development in a telephone chat with our correspondent on Saturday.

According to Omotosho, the rioters burnt the gatehouse of one of the church buildings and set a bus ablaze in the compound. He added that the second affected church was vandalised by the hoodlums.

Omotosho gave the names of the two churches as Holy Family Cathedral on Bello Way and St Kelvin Gidan Dere, Eastern Bypass.

When our correspondent asked about the whereabouts and safety of the fiery preacher, the spokesman for the Diocese stressed that “Bishop Kukah is fine”.

On Thursday, Kukah described as criminal, the gruesome murder of Deborah Yakubu, a 200-level Home Economics student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, North-West Nigeria.

He had also called on the authorities to ensure “those who are guilty of this inhuman act, no matter their motivation, are punished according to the extant laws of our land.”

Rampaging hoodlums on Saturday torched and vandalised at least two parishes presided over by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah, The PUNCH has learnt.

The Director, Social Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr Christopher Omotosho, confirmed the development in a telephone chat with our correspondent on Saturday.

According to Omotosho, the rioters burnt the gatehouse of one of the church buildings and set a bus ablaze in the compound. He added that the second affected church was vandalised by the hoodlums.

Omotosho gave the names of the two churches as Holy Family Cathedral on Bello Way and St Kelvin Gidan Dere, Eastern Bypass.

When our correspondent asked about the whereabouts and safety of the fiery preacher, the spokesman for the Diocese stressed that “Bishop Kukah is fine”.

On Thursday, Kukah described as criminal, the gruesome murder of Deborah Yakubu, a 200-level Home Economics student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, North-West Nigeria.

He had also called on the authorities to ensure “those who are guilty of this inhuman act, no matter their motivation, are punished according to the extant laws of our land.”

Sultan on Friday condemned the killing of Deborah Emmanuel and charged the security agents to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book.

On Saturday morning, some angry youth mobilized themselves to the Sultan’s palace in Sokoto, insisting that his comments on the killing of Deborah Emmanuel, a 200 level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto were anti Islam.

The irate youth also demanded that those arrested over the killing should be released with immediate effect.

Hundreds of placard-carrying Muslim youths began a protest in Sokoto on Saturday morning and demanded the release of two suspects.

The Muslim protesters clashed with security operatives who fired shots to disperse the surging demonstrators.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal subsequently imposed a curfew on the people of the state amid rising tension.

Following Tambuwal’s directive, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, banned religious protests in Kaduna, saying some “unpatriotic elements” planned to organise a “series of for-and-against protests” related to the unfolding event in Sokoto.

Following the development, in a state wide broadcast, Governor Tambuwal said by the power conferred on him by sections 176 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Sections 1 and 4 of the public Order Act and also Section 15 of Sokoto State Peace Preservation Law and as the chief security of the state he had declared with immediate effect a curfew within Sokoto metropolis for the next 24 hours.

He appealed to the people of Sokoto state to continue to observe law and order.

At the time of filing this story, military personnel and other security agents had taken over the streets in the city.

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