THE state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN), Joseph Hayab, has said at least 23 priests were killed in the last four years due to activities of bandits in the state.
Hayab disclosed this during a meeting with the state Commissioner of Police (CP) held at Albarka Fellowship Baptist church in Kaduna yesterday.
Hayab lamented the dimensions of insecurity plaguing the state during the meeting.
He stated that 200 churches were shut down, while 115 were burnt in Birnin Gwari, Chikun, and Kajuru due to terrorist attacks.
He added that many Christians have since been worshipping under trees.
“Just last month, to be precise, 8th August,2O23, one of the pastors, Adamu, was kidnapped only to find himself in Birnin Gwari and was asked to lead prayers for over 200 Christians still in captivity.
“it even came to a point that I became weak because we kept talking without results every day,” Hayab said.
The CAN leader appreciated the CP for the interface, noting that the state’s problems with insecurity would have been resolved if there had been such meetings between religious leaders and security agencies.
In his remarks, the CP, Musa Garba, argued that interaction with religious leaders would improve relations between the Nigeria Police and religious leaders.
Garba stated that as crime knows no bounds of religion or tribe, the state’s people should watch and pray. He also urged the leaders to support him and pray for his success during his term.
He pointed out that he had a mandate to ensure that the state was safe so that people could sleep with their two eyes closed, stressing that the insecurity challenges the state was facing were not unique to the state alone but to the entire world.
The commissioner encouraged citizens to contact security personnel around their communities with prompt information once they identify suspicious persons.
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