Religious crisis brews in Kwara as CAN accuses Muslims in attack on churches, rape of Christian girls

Unless quickly nipped in the bud, what seems a religious crisis may be brewing in Kwara State.

Following attacks that took place on New Year’s day in Ilorin the state capital, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused Muslims in the state of attacking churches, and raping Christian girls.

Chairman of the state’s CAN chapter, Prof. Timothy Opoola, who made the accusations on Tuesday, said some female Christians who were returning home after New Year’s service were raped, by people who seemed to be Muslims.

According to him, “During the attack, they chanted Islamic slogans saying, ‘Allah Akbar, this land belongs to Muslims.’ They threw stones and destroyed the windows of the Christ Apostolic Church in the area when they could not gain access”.

Opoola, who spoke during a media briefing in Ilorin, said CAN believed that it was some Muslim fundamentalists that attacked the churches and raped the women.
“In fact, some Christian worshippers returning home were raped. Some of the ladies ran into the Methodist Cathedral naked for safety.

“These Muslim fanatics broke the gate of the cathedral and destroyed the church building and some vehicles.

“The Muslims later moved to St. Joseph Catholic Cathedral and also destroyed the church building. The fundamentalists damaged two statues; those of St. Joseph and the resurrection scene.

“When the fundamentalists entered the cathedral, they robbed the worshippers of their phones, bags and other valuables.

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“If the police and other security operatives had acted on time to curtail the unfortunate incident, the magnitude of the destruction would have been minimised.”

Opoola stated that if nothing is done to prevent further attacks on churches and Christians in the state, that the Christian community would have no choice than to defend itself, since nobody had the monopoly of violence.

But the Chairman, Alfathiu Quarib, a Muslim group, Malam Oniye Abdulrasak, has dissociated his organisation from any attack on any church.

Also, Vice Chairman, Quareeb Society, another Muslim group in Ilorin, Abdulrasak Oniye, had told journalists that Muslim faithfuls were also attacked.

It would be recalled that scores of youths were said to have attacked Christian and Muslim worship centres on New Year’s day after they were stopped from holding a carnival for the New Year.

In suing for peace, governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, called on religious leaders in the state, not to allow those he described as miscreants, to cause disaffections among them.

Ahmed, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, said “anyone who participated directly or indirectly in the public disorder shall be brought to book”.

He urged the religious leaders not to “play into the hands of mischief-makers by labelling the activities of miscreants as a religious issue. The benefits of unity are too many to allow them to slip out of our hands”.

 

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