By Ndahi Marama, MAIDUGURI

More than 50 pastors and thousands of youths from different churches, on Friday morning, converged at the site of demolished Local Church of Brethern, LCB, under Ekkliziyan Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN), a.k.a Church of Brethern Maduganari ward of Maiduguri metropolis.

All the aggrieved parties called on Borno State government and Governor Babagana Zulum to immediately reconstruct the destroyed Church building, its pure water factory and security post among other facilities hitherto bulldozed by officials of Borno Geographic Information System, BOGIS.

Recall that the church was demolished on Thursday, with gunshots fired by a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, leading to the death of one person, as other sustained injuries.

Addressing journalists at the demolished site of the Church on Friday, The Reverend Pastor in charge of EYN Maduganari, Reverend Shawulu Auta Ndahi, condemned the killing of one of his church members who attempted to protect the Church from demolition.

He stressed that there was nothing on earth that can compensate for a life lost. He requested the state government to assist the families of the deceased and those who sustained gunshot wounds.

“Yesterday (Thursday) morning at about 11 am, we received a distress call that some officials of BOGIS in the company of some CJTF officials came and demolished our Church with all facilities destroyed.

“In the process, some of our aggrieved members started hurling stones at the officials of BOGIS, before Some CJTF members opened fire after seizing their communication gadgets, which led to the killing of Mr. Ezekiel Bitrus.

“In view of these unwholesome conduct, we are hereby displaying all our Certificate of Occupancy and other relevant documents used in acquiring this land.

“Therefore, as a Church which believes in peace and unity, we have some immediate demands from Governor Zulum to immediately reconstruct our demolished Church and other facilities including our pure water factory.

“We call on the state government to immediately remove Engineer Adam Bababe from heading BOGIS which is an agency of government tasked with the responsibility of land maintenance.

“The Church also wants the government to lift the ban on the teaching of Christian Religious Knowledge, CRK, in all our primary and secondary schools as it has been the practice in the past, as the constitution allows for freedom of worship in the country,” the Reverend Pastor stated.

Also in his own address, the Youth CAN Chairman, Mr. Sunday Ishaku, while making his condemnation on behalf of Christian Youth Groups, prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased and quick recovery for those who sustained injuries during the fracas.

Ishaku, however, passed a vote of no confidence on the CAN led by Bishop Naga, whom he alleged took some officials/individuals to meet with Governor Zulum some hours after the incident at the Government House just for their selfish interest.

He said: “We are disappointed with the CAN leadership under the Chairmanship of Bishop Mohammed Naga.

“As I address you today, Bishop Naga has failed to officially come out with a statement regarding this unwholesome treatment meted to us by BOGIS and men of CJTF.”

Vanguard News Nigeria