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Tag: worshippers

  • Vigil gone awry as fire traps worshippers in Ibadan church

    Vigil gone awry as fire traps worshippers in Ibadan church

    Fire has engulfed a parish of the Christ Apostolic Church in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Friday night, reportedly trapping several worshippers inside.

    According to sources the incident occurred at about 9:30 pm at Wisdom Estate, Road 1G, Olohunda Road, in the Lagelu Local Government Area on Saturday morning.

    It was revealed that the church was hosting a Friday vigil when the fire broke out.

    The incident happened in the night around 9:30pm. I think they were having Friday vigil. Some worshippers had already slept off, to have some rest before they start vigil when the incident happened.”

    Another source described the harrowing scene, saying “There was an aged woman, very old to the extent that she could not walk properly. She was still inside the church when the fire was raging seriously.”

    A church member, who requested anonymity, said, “People were still inside the church during the fire . I will get back to you later, please.”

    As of the time of reporting, the exact cause of the fire remains unclear.

    Confirming the incident, the General Manager of Oyo State Fire Services, Akinyemi Akinyinka, said, “Our men were there based on information from one Kunle Junaid.”

    He promised to provide further updates.

  • Bandits strike in Kaduna Mosque, kill 7 worshippers

    Bandits strike in Kaduna Mosque, kill 7 worshippers

    The Police Command in Kaduna State on Saturday  confirmed the killing of seven persons while performing prayers in a Mosque at Saya-Saya village of Ikara Local Government Area.

    The command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the incident to NAN.

    Hassan said “at about 8:00 p.m. on Friday, we received information from Saya-Saya village that six persons were killed while performing last prayer of the day (Ishai) in a Mosque.

    “The bandits, about nine of them on motorcycles, arrived and attacked the people in the Mosque.

    “At the spot, they shot six persons while praying in a mosque in the  village.”

    Hassan said the bandits also moved to another Mosque at Tashar Dauda, also in Ikara Local Government Area, and killed one person while three sustained bullet injuries.

    He said the bandits took away four motorcycles.

    “On getting the information, the Divisional Police Officer of Ikara promptly mobilised security operatives to the scenes.

    “By the time our men got there, the bandits had escaped into the bush before the arrival of security operatives .

    “So far, no arrest has been made at the scenes of the incident but five empty shells of AK49 rifle were recoverd.”

    He said that the seven corpses had been handed over to their relatives.

    Of the three injured persons, he said that two were moved to General Hospital Tudun-Wada, Kano State, while one is in General Hospital Ikara.

    Mansir said Police had intensified efforts to arrest the suspects and make them face the law.

    He quoted the Commissioner of Police, Mr Musa Garba, as appealing to citizens to always report any unusual and suspicious activity to the nearest security authorities for proactive measure.

  • Worshippers, security guard killed in synagogue shooting

    Worshippers, security guard killed in synagogue shooting

    At least three people were killed after a security guard began shooting near a synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba, the Ministry of Interior said on Tuesday.

    The attacker was also dead.

    According to the Tunisian Foreign Ministry, the Ghriba Synagogue visitors killed were a 30-year-old person from Tunisia and a 42-year-old person from France.

    The third death was a security guard killed by the attacker, who was also a security guard.

    The Interior Ministry said that late on Tuesday the attacker killed his colleague, seized ammunition and then opened fire randomly at security posts in the vicinity of the synagogue, where pilgrims are currently visiting. Security guards fired back killing the attacker, the ministry said.

    Four civilians and five security personnel were also injured.

    The synagogue was cordoned off and an investigation is underway to determine why this “this treacherous and cowardly attack” occurred, the Interior Ministry said.

    The synagogue was hosting the festival for the Jewish holiday Lag Baomer, which is attended every year by many Jewish locals as well as pilgrims from Israel, France and other countries.

    Lag Baomer, the Jewish festival of joy, traditionally interrupts the mourning period between Passover, which commemorates the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery, and the harvest festival of Shavuot.

    According to Israeli media reports, around 1,000 people were in the house of worship during the crime. Extra tight security is in place during the festival every year.

    Videos circulated on social media appeared to show panicked people running through a neighbouring building to the synagogue while gunshots were heard.

    According to the Jewish community, only about 1,800 Jews still live in Tunisia, most of them on Djerba.

    In the middle of the 20th century, there were still 100,000 Jews in Tunisia.

    In 2002, a suicide attack targeted the synagogue, leaving 21 dead, including 14 German tourists.

    In 2015, the North African country saw a string of attacks that hit the tourism industry – its main source of income. Most of the attacks were claimed by extremist militia.

  • Worshippers feared killed as gunmen attack Kogi church

    Worshippers feared killed as gunmen attack Kogi church

    The Police Command in Kogi State on Monday confirmed the killing of two persons in an attack on worshippers in a Church by gunmen at Felele Quarters, Lokoja.

    SP William Ovye-Aya, the Command’s image maker, confirmed the development while speaking with newsmen in Lokoja, adding that several others sustained serious injuries during the attack.

    Ovye-Aya said gunmen had invaded a Celestial Church, “Blood of Jesus Parish,” at Felele quarters, around 8.00. p.m. on Sunday, and opened fire on worshippers, killing two persons and injuring many others.

    “There was a distress call made to our command over the attack, which left two female worshippers dead, and several others injured.

    “On getting the alert, our command quickly deployed a response team to the area with a view to restoring normalcy in the area, and arresting the perpetrators.

    “Although there is no arrest yet, investigations are on to fish out the perpetrators who would face the full wrath of the law.

    “Already, the corpses of the victims of the attack have been deposited at the Morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, where the injured are also being treated,” he said.

    Ovye-Aya, however, called on the public to remain calm, peaceful and go about their normal activities as the Police were on top of the matter.

    The attack was the second in a space of three weeks as another Church was attacked within the same Felele Quarters of Lokoja.

  • Kidnappers free abducted church leaders for cigarettes, gin, rice

    The kidnappers of two worshippers last Monday, at the Celestial Church of Christ, Oshofa, Wasimi, in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, have regained freedom after cigarettes, gin and rice were issued as ransom.

     

    The founder of the church, Oluwatomisin Olugbebi, said the victims were released on Saturday after N1m was also paid as ransom to the kidnappers.

     

    It was gathered that the kidnappers, who wore masks and fez caps, invaded the church and abducted the Assistant Shepherd (assistant pastor) of the parish, Oluwaseun Ajose, and a Sunday school teacher, Dagunro Ayobami.

     

    The kidnappers had reduced their demand from N50m to N10m last Thursday.

     

    He said, “They called on Saturday morning and demanded foodstuffs (rice, beans), cigarettes and gin. They said we should pay N1m for the two of them. I pleaded with them that we didn’t even have up to that, but they said they won’t accept anything less than a million.

     

    “When we heard this, the family of the victims sat on how to get the money and they raised a total of N221,000. Thankfully, well-wishers and other church members balanced it up.

     

    “They did not give a specific location where we should drop the money. They asked to speak to the sister of one of the victims and told her to come to a certain location. When she got there, she called them and they told her to give the phone to the bike rider.

     

    “They told the bike rider their location without disclosing it to her. The bike rider then took her to the location where the money and the requested foodstuffs were dropped. After like 10 minutes, they asked her to come and pick them (victims) up at the bus stop.”

     

    The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, confirmed the release.

     

    He said, “They regained their freedom last night (Saturday) due to sustained pressure mounted by the police on the kidnappers.”

  • Gunmen kill 9 worshipers, injure 6 in Niger

    Gunmen kill 9 worshipers, injure 6 in Niger

    The Police Command in Niger said gunmen had killed nine worshippers and injured six others in an attack on a mosque at Tungan Ba’are village in Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Monday-Bala Kuryas, who confirmed the incident, said the worshippers were killed during early morning prayer on Thursday.

    He said a primary school teacher was abducted by the gunmen, adding that those killed were aged between 65 and 30.

    The police commissioner said the six injured persons were evacuated to Kontagora General hospital for treatment.

    He gave their names as, Umaru Sahabi, Mohammed Maikasuwa, Isa Abu, Mohammed Danbarau, Mohammed Dandangi and Alhaji Dan Mairini.

    “We can’t ascertain the number of victims kidnapped, as only one primary school teacher of Tungan Ba’are was revealed to be kidnapped by the armed gunmen during the incident.”

    According to the commissioner, the incident might be a reprisal attack resulting from a long standing communal feud.

    He said that additional armed security personnel had since been deployed to the area to track and arrest the gunmen and all other miscreants undermining peaceful coexistence among the residents.

    Kuryas urged the people to support security agencies with credible information on the activities of criminals around them.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that an attack on worshippers on Oct. 25, in a mosque at Mazakuka village in Mashegu Local Government Area, left many people dead.

  • How gunmen killed worshipers, abducted seven others in Niger

    How gunmen killed worshipers, abducted seven others in Niger

    The Police Command in Niger said gunmen killed an unspecified number of people who were observing early morning prayers at a Mosque at Mazakuka village in Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Monday Kuryas, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday, said the hoodlums also abducted seven other worshipers at the mosque.

    Mr Kuryas said the incident occurred on October 25 at about 0530 hours when the gunmen attacked the village.

    He said the gunmen later destroyed property worth millions of naira belonging to Abubakar Maigandus in the village.

    He said security personnel, however, shot dead one of the bandits.

    The commissioner said the incident was understood to be a reprisal attack resulting from a long standing communal feud.

    He said that already additional armed security personnel had since been deployed to the area to ensure the arrest of the gunmen “and all other miscreants undermining the peaceful coexistence among residents”.

    He urged the residents, especially those in the rural areas of the state, “to come forward with reliable information that could aid the personnel deployed across the state to ensure the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in criminal acts.”

    ”We are battle-ready to confront any form of criminal elements as long as good residents will volunteer credible information on movement of dubious characters in their midst,” Mr Kuryas said.
    The country is battling worsening insecurity and rising crimes, with the swathes of the north badly affected by banditry, kidnappings and insurgency.

  • Group decries kidnapping upsurge in Kogi, attacks on worshippers

    Group decries kidnapping upsurge in Kogi, attacks on worshippers

    The socio-cultural Development Association of the Yoruba people of Kogi State, Okun Development Association (ODA), has condemned in strong terms, the attack on worshippers at a church in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen invaded ECWA Goodnews Church. Okedayo, in Kabba, Kogi, on Sunday, killed one person, injured three and abducted two worshipers.

    A statement by ODA National Secretary, Pastor Ben Abereoran, on Tuesday in Lokoja, decried the needless attack on innocent people who gathered to worship their God in line with their religious tenets.

    He noted that the church attack was among the numerous insecurity issues bedeviling the communities in Okun land, saying, ”the attack and the attendant loss of life is barbaric, unfortunate and extremely very sad”.

    According to him, it was the fear of this and similar occurrences in different parts of Okunland that made ODA to earlier appeal passionately to the State Government to reconsider her open door policy to herders.

    ”Those who disguised as ordinary people going about for their survival, whereas they had and still harbor evil intentions. Today, we all know better.

    ”Also, the Jail break at the Federal Minimum Correctional Centre, Kabba, and the Kidnappings in Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Mopa Amuro, Oworo land, Yagba East and Yagba West Local Government Areas, are alien to our land.

    ”We call for improved security in the area towards nipping the recent upsurge in kidnapping in Okun land. Security agencies must rise up to their responsibility of protecting lives and property of the people.

    The group scribe further called on all security apparatus in the country to come and save Okun people from kidnappings, savagery, banditry and killings being carried out by yet to be identified persons.

    ”We make this call all the time, hoping that the authorities will rise to the occasion. Sadly, it gets worse with each passing day.

    ”What can the people do if the security agencies are unable to provide adequate security cover to the people?

    ”We the ODA do not want to believe that the security agencies lack the ability and capacity to decisively deal with this situation.

    ”This is why we once again appeal to our political leadership across board, for the sake of millions of young innocent children and the overall long-term interest of Nigeria, to demonstrate the political will and put this menace to rest once and for all,” he said.

    Abereoran urged the Local Government Chairmen to sit up and justify the trust of the people by partnering with relevant stakeholders like traditional rulers to arrest the externally imposed current situation in Okunland.

  • Oro worshippers, Muslims, in war of words over festival

    Oro worshippers, Muslims, in war of words over festival

    The controversy surrounding the celebration of Oro traditional festival in Iseyin town, Oyo State, on Wednesday took a new turn, as worshippers of the deity pointed accusing fingers at the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA),over allegedly instigating the government to cancel the annual festival.

    The leaders of Oro deity had directed the worshippers to go ahead with their planned 17-day festivities, in defiance of a government order, which stopped the festival.

    The traditionalists, in a statement signed by one of their leaders, Chief Oloyede Orogbensola, said there was no legal pronouncement stopping the festival.

    Orogbensola, who signed a statement on behalf of the Traditional Religions Worshippers’ Association of Nigeria, accused NSCIA, Iseyin chapter, of intolerant of other religions.

    The NSCIA had through its officials, including the Publicity Secretary, Maruf Mustapha, warned against the 17-day set aside for this year’s festival.

    It said such celebration usually impugned on the rights of the people in the area to go about their lawful duties without hindrance and also had the tendency for adherents to resort to violence and maim its members, as witnessed in the past.

    But Orogbensola urged Governor Seyi Makinde and the public to ignore the tissue of lies and misinformation being spread by NSCIA that Oro worshippers were violent and had been disturbing the peace of the town over the years.

    He noted that contrary to the lies that Oro worshippers had been attacking Muslims and non-Muslims in Iseyin, the worshippers and other traditionalists had always been at the receiving end of violent attacks from Muslims over the years.

    He added that despite the unprovoked attacks on Oro worshippers by the Muslim groups, the festival would go ahead as planned on September 22 because there was no legal restraint against the annual festival.

    The traditionalists said the claim by the Muslim group that the Oro festival would last 17 days was another attempt at exaggeration and blackmail, noting that it is only slated for two of those days, the seventh day and the 17th day that women are banned from seeing the masquerade.

    They said the other days were for festivities.

     

  • Anambra church gun attack: Here is all you need to know

    There has been a distortion in the reports on the identity of the actual killer, [gunman] or killers [gunmen] of eight worshippers on Sunday at St. Philip Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Anambra state.

    When the first wave of news reports on incident hit the internet space, over four hours ago [12:00 pm], most news media at the time, erroneously reported that the attack was perpetrated by some unknown gunmen.

    However, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Umar on Sunday confirmed that it is only one gunman that carried out the killings.

    Also, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who reacted to the Anambra Church killings in a video shared by his supporters on Facebook led a whole lot of netizens confused about the ethnic background of the gunman, by blaming the Hausa, Fulani as being the mastermind of the incident.

    In the video, enraged Kanu said Igbos are tired of the so many killings which he blamed on the current structure of the country that placed ‘Biafra’ under the Nigerian government.

    Watch the video: ‘We are tired of being killed by Hausa,Fulani’ – Nnamdi Kanu

    On the contrary, Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, while quoting an intelligence report gathered by the state linked the shooting to an existing feud existing between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu living abroad.

    Accordingly, the report of the state’s commissioner of police, Garba corroborated with Governor Obiano’s account, which both debunks the Nnamdi Kanu speculation of a possible invasion.

    Garba said, “From our findings, it is very clear that the person who carried the attack must be an indigene of the area.“We gathered that worshippers for 6 o’clock Sunday mass at St. Philip Ozobulu were in the service when a gunman dressed in black attire covering his face with a cap entered the church and moved straight to a particular direction and opened fire.

    “The man after shooting at his targeted victims still went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding other worshippers,’’ he said.

    The commissioner said information available to police showed that the attacker was speaking undiluted Igbo Language at the time he was firing at worshippers.

    Parish priest, choir member speak

    The Parish Priest of St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, said that the attack took place at about 6.30 a.m. during a Holy Mass celebration.

    According to the priest, an unidentified man came into the Church, shot at a man, Chief Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, before shooting sporadically at other worshippers.

    An eyewitness, who simply identified herself as a choir member, said that the church was dark as there was no light.

    She said that the generating set suddenly developed fault; so, the mass proceeded with the congregation using candles.

    According to her, the gunman, after the shooting, immediately jumped into a waiting car with a driver.

    Why the shootings?

    There are strong speculations that the gun attack is motivated by drug deals gone wrong.

    Recall that the Obiano gave a hint, saying the killings were as a result of a feud existing between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu who are living abroad.