A parish of Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) in Giwa Local Government Area, Kaduna State, has been set ablaze.
It is believed that the church was torched because the founder, Bishop David Oyedepo, is supporting the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.
It was learned that two arsonists stormed the church to set it ablaze. Nothing was saved from the inferno.
A ststement by General Ishaku Ahmed Dikko, president of Tarayyar Masihiyawan Nigeria, comprising Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri Christians, and Mr. Sunny Oibe, Director of National Issues Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), reads: “On March 20, 2015, around 2:30 pm, two unknown hoodlums on a motorcycle drove into the premises of Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) and set it ablaze. The Church was razed to the ground and nothing was saved from the Church. The building burnt to the ground.”
Dikko and Oibe noted that the attack shocked the Christian Community, since there was no rancour between Christians and Muslims in the town.
“In fact, it was a Fulani herdsman that saw the fire and reported to the police. Only one policeman and a Christian volunteered, ran to the scene and attempted to put out the fire. But of course they could not achieve anything. If this can happen in less than a week to the presidential elections, what shall we expect during or after the elections? Is this a sign of what to expect or a dress rehearsal of a repeat of 2011 post- election violence? This is a wake-up call to the federal, state and local government authorities, especially the security agencies.”