Hoodlums loot church, cart away hundreds of chairs and musical equipment

Some yet-to-be-identified hoodlums have carted away no less than 205 chairs, musical instruments, and other equipment valued at millions of naira from a church in Katsina State on the first day of the ongoing nationwide protests against hardship.

The hoodlums reportedly invaded a Living Faith Church in the Daura Local Government Area, looting the chairs, musical instruments, and other valuable items.

The Pastor in charge of the church, David Jato stated that worship could not be held due to the incident.

“The hoodlums took everything inside the church on the first day of the protest, so we decided to worship in our various home cells,” he said.

“We have two security guards working in the church, one on duty and the other off. When the protest began around 10:00 am, the hoodlums diverted to the church, many arriving in Keke Napep (tricycles). They broke the door and windows and entered the church auditorium. They took everything, including the digital wall clock, musical instruments, pulpit, pastor’s chairs, plastic chairs, a desktop computer at the reception, and a cabinet where the accountant kept church documents. They scattered everything.

“Three churches were their targets. They succeeded in invading the Living Faith Church and Deeper Life but could not gain access to the third, the Anglican church, due to strong protection at the gate.”

Pastor Jato said the church had informed the police and the Army, and the police indicated they would come on Saturday and had made some arrests.

“I’m surprised by this attack when we are protesting against bad governance, which now includes the invasion of churches. This action should be seriously condemned. Churches are places of worship, not storage for food. The government must understand that they serve humanity, and God will judge us all, whether political or religious leaders.

“My prayer to the perpetrators is that they should repent because entering a place of worship is wrong. They should seek forgiveness, and I know God will forgive them,” Pastor Jato added.

Similarly, Very Reverend Nelson Onyekachuku, the Pastor in charge of Power of Resurrection in the area, whose church was also targeted by the hoodlums, lamented the vandalisation of the church windows.

The hoodlums could not gain access to the building due to its iron protectors.

Onyekachuku, a former state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), condemned the action, adding that the hoodlums should not add pain to the church.

He called on the government to change its policies, address the people's issues, and always protect the church whenever such incidents occur.