Niger State: Muslim youths attack Catholic Church says ‘Friday belongs to us’

A group of Muslim youths, on Friday attacked St. Philip’s Catholic Parish, Baki Iku, very close to Zuma Rock in Niger State.

According to eyewitnesses, some Catholics, who had gone to the church to pray were attacked by the Muslims on the claim that Friday was their day of prayer and that the Church only had right to worship on Sundays.

Information gathered from eyewitnesses showed that they destroyed the Church properties, including doors and windows.

“Although some soldiers managed to get there but a lot of harm had been done to the building, while the Christians ran away in different directions to avoid being killed”, the source hinted.

It should be recalled that Alhaji Kabiru Sokoto had on Christmas day four years ago (December 25, 2011) detonated a bomb that killed over 200 Catholics and passersby at St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, close to St. Philips that was destroyed.

Rev Fr. Luka Sylvester Gopep, the Vicar-General of the Diocese confirmed the incident.

He said, “Sometime around 2pm, some Muslim youths in their hundreds left their Mosque after their Friday Jumat prayer and rushed to the Church premises, climbed the wall and destroyed everything in the Church: the windows, the alter, musical instruments, the chapel.

“The security man in the church premises was beaten to pulp. Some women who were holding a prayer meeting were chased away. The seminarian who is resident in the premises was also beaten up and chased away.”