A pastor was killed and his home, church and mission school burned to the ground following an attack by a Muslim mob in Nigeria’s northern Kano State.
Pastor Yohanna Shuaibu, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the Sumaila Local Government Area of Kano, was fatally injured at his home in Massu village on 22 September after he was suspected of being involved in the conversion of a local Muslim man.
The pastor and his family had spent the previous night in a neighbouring community after heeding warnings of an impending attack. He went back the following day to evacuate pupils from the Christian school for which he had helped raise money.
Believing that tensions in Massu had eased, Pastor Yohanna decided to remain with his family. That night the mob attacked. The pastor’s wife and children managed to escape; however, he suffered multiple machete blows and died from his injuries the following day.
The mob went on to burn down the family’s home, the church and school.
The Hausa Christian Foundation described Pastor Yohanna as a “soldier of Christ” who “was hunted and gruesomely killed at his duty post and his wrong was that he was a servant of the Lord”. It added, “You fought a good fight and won the race, your crown awaits you.”
Pastor Yohanna was involved in a number of community initiatives, including raising funds for boreholes for Christian villages denied access to government-provided water sources. Under his leadership, a faulty water source at a local mosque was refurbished by local Christians.
The pastor’s family are now in hiding in a safe place and Barnabas Fund is helping to support their immediate needs.
From Barnabas Fund contacts and other sources
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