Nigeria is ranked seventh on the list of persecution of Christians compiled by the group Open Doors.
Newsroom (19/05/2022 15:44, Gaudium Press) The Catholic Cathedral in Sokoto, located in Nigeria, was the target of violence from a mob of Muslims after local police arrested two suspects for the murder of Christian student Deborah Samuel.
The student at Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, was beaten and burned on May 11 after being accused of posting “blasphemous” statements about Islam on a WhatsApp group.
Plundered Churches
A group of young people attacked the Holy Family Catholic Cathedral, destroying the stained glass windows of the temple and also vandalizing a community bus that was parked inside the Catholic community’s facilities. A team of police officers arrived in time to disperse the crowd and prevent further damage from being done.
Kevin’s Catholic Church, Gidan Dere, Eastern By-pass, was also attacked and partially set on fire; in addition, the windows of the new hospital complex under construction at the same location were broken. The Bakhita Center located along Aliyu Jodi Road was also attacked.
Curfew
In order to contain the protests, the Sokoto state government declared a 24-hour curfew, during which time all Masses in Sokoto metropolis were suspended by the Bishop of Sokoto, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.
The prelate urged Christians to remain law-abiding and pray for a return to normalcy. “We condemn this incident in the strongest terms and call on the authorities to investigate this tragedy and ensure that all guilty parties are arrested.”
Religious Persecution in Nigeria
Sokoto is a predominantly Muslim city of over 600,000 people in the far northwest of Nigeria, a country divided between Christians and Muslims. Nigeria is ranked seventh on the list of persecution of Christians compiled by the group Open Doors.
Christians in the African country have suffered increasing insecurity in recent years from the terrorist group Boko Haram and the Fulani Militia, a predominantly Muslim nomadic group. The country’s president is accused by Christians for not combating this violence. (EPC)
Compiled by Camille Mittermeier