ANOTHER church service was
brutally terminated in Yola,
Adamawa State, on Friday night
after suspected Boko Haram
members marched into the
Christ Apostolic Church, Jimeta,
spraying worshippers with
bullets.
At least 16 lay dead after the
attack.Three persons were killed
in a nearby salon also by
suspected Boko Haram
members while two were killed
in Maiduguri.
It came just 24 hours after
members of the sect killed eight
and injured 19 in a similar
fashion at the Deeper Life Bible
Church in Gombe.
Victims of the Yola mayhem
include the Pastor in charge of
the church, simply called Moses,
and his son.
The pastor's wife is battling for
survival having been critically
injured.
More than 30 worshippers were
injured with six in the
emergency ward of the State's
Specialist Hospital in Yola.
Some youths turned their anger
on the Adamawa State Police
Commissioner, Mr. Shinaba
Adenrele and almost killed him.
He was however rushed to
nearly hospital for treatment by
policemen.
The State government has
imposed a 24-hour dusk to
dawn curfew on the state
capital to enable it take stock of
the situation and restore
normalcy.
Angry youths protesting the
killings, barricaded some streets
in Yola.The protests were said to
be spreading to Numan and
Lamorde in the state.
It was gathered that nine
members of Boko Haram
stormed the CAC church on
Church Road in Yola on three
motor-cycles and opened fire on
the worshippers.
They struck mid way into the
service at about 7pm.
A source said: “They came while
the service was in progress and
shot at the worshippers
beginning from the altar.
“They killed the Pastor, his son
and 14 others. More than 30
people were injured but six
were critically wounded and
they are being treated at the
State Specialist Hospital in Yola.
“The corpses of those killed
have also been deposited at the
mortuary of the same hospital.
“The situation has become
tensed in the state capital with
angry youths mounting
barricade leading to the
Lutheran Christian Church along
the same Church Road.
“We have just heard of riots
breaking out in Numan and
Lamorde over the dastardly
killing of these 16 innocent
people.
“The pastor, who was killed
with his son, hailed from
Numan. There are fears of
reprisals in some parts of the
state.”
A statement by the Secretary to
the State Government, Mr. Kobis
Ari, on Gotel Radio announced a
24-hour curfew.
The State Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Shinaba Adenrele,
escaped being killed by angry
youths when he visited the CAC
church at about 10am
yesterday.
The Police Commissioner, who
spoke with The Nation on the
phone after First Aid treatment,
said: “Well, I thank God for
sparing my life. What happened
was that 12 members of the CAC
Church were killed by suspected
gunmen on Friday night. Four of
them were injured but they are
responding to treatment at the
State Specialist Hospital.
“Members of the church were
about ending their service when
these gunmen struck and killed
these innocent people. But upon
getting there and while I was
addressing the crowd, one of
the angry youths took a big
stone and hit my chest leaving
me sprawling. He attacked me
despite the fact that I was in
uniform.
“Even while being rushed to the
hospital, I managed to prevail
on my men not to open fire in
order not to compound the
security situation.
“I have recovered after
treatment at the hospital. The
governor has imposed a 24-
hour curfew because Christians
said they are going to retaliate.
“The 24-hour curfew is subject
to review by the governor
depending on the security
situation in the state.”
At a nearby beauty salon, at least
three others were killed in a
similar attack.
"Three gunmen with their faces
covered with black cloth burst
into my salon and started
shooting at customers,
chanting, 'God is great, God is
great,'" said Stephen Tizhe, 35.
The violence comes ahead of a
planned gubernatorial election
later this month.
Also on Friday night, gunmen
set two banks ablaze with petrol
bombs in Potiskum, Yobe State,
starting a gunfight with police
that lasted three hours, the
police commissioner Tanko
Lawan said. At least two people
were killed in the fight, he said.
Similarly, sect gunmen yesterday
shot and killed two Christian
students of the University of
Maiduguri, the police
commissioner Simeon Midenda
said.
No arrests have been made in
any of the attacks, authorities
said.
In a statement Friday a Boko
Haram spokesman using the
nom de guerre Abul-Qaqa
claimed responsibility for the
attacks in Gombe and Mubi.
"We want to prove to the federal
government of Nigeria that we
can always change our tactics,"
the spokesman said.
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