fbpx
Thursday, June 1, 2023
Home News Church Losses 8 Pastors, 8370 Members to Boko Haram Attacks

Church Losses 8 Pastors, 8370 Members to Boko Haram Attacks

By UDEH DANIELLA

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Over 8370 members and eight pastors of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN), lost their lives in various offensives launched by the dreaded Boko Haram sect, the Church said on Thursday.

Its President, Rev. Joel Billi, said at a press conference in Yola, Adamawa State, that 25,000 members of the Church were currently taking refuge in neighboring Cameroun, while more than 700,000 were in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps due to terrorist attacks that had affected more than 1.5 million members, and caused huge damages to the denomination’s places of worship in Nigeria’s Northeast region.

Rev. Joel Billi

“It could be recalled that EYN has lost over 8,370 members and eight pastors with the numbers increasing on daily basis. Over 700,000 members are displaced and about 25, 000 are currently taking refuge in Cameroun and Chad Republics. About 300 of the 586 churches have been either burnt or destroyed with uncountable number of houses belonging to our members looted or burnt too,” Billi said.

See also  Covid-19 - Nigeria Records 338 New Cases.Total confirmed cases 5959

He explained that only seven, out of the 60 District Church Councils, were not directly affected by the insurgency, but said several of their members were abducted by the insurgents, with 217 out of the abducted 276 Chibok school girls belonging to the EYN, which he lamented, was the single Christian denomination worse hit by activities of the Boko Haram terrorists.

See also  Wike Urges FG to Allow States Develop Their Minerals, Pay Royalty

On the fight against the insurgency, the EYN President commended the renewed zeal by the military and other security agents, in tackling the menace. He however, called on the Federal Government and the state governments of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, to as matter of urgency, rescue the remaining abducted Chibok school girls and reunite them safely with their families.

See also  New Electricity Tariff Takes Effect July 1, Says AEDC boss

“I also call with a loud voice, on the Federal Government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, to rescue Leah Sharibu, Alice Loksha, and hundreds of others abducted by the Boko Haram,” he said, noting that there were still several villages and communities that had been deserted by their inhabitants due to continuous attacks by Boko Haram.

Billi urged the president, to as a matter of urgency, deploy at least a Battalion of military to the deserted areas behind the Gwoza Hills, to ensure the speedy return of the IDPs to their ancestral land. “Government should immediately reconstruct and rehabilitate all houses, schools and worship places, destroyed by the insurgents in the deserted villages, through the Northeast Development Commission.

Government should also deploy more security personnel to volatile areas to mitigate further attacks. The Federal Government should equally marshal out plans to evacuate the over 47,000 Nigerian refugees in Camerounian Camps, back to their ancestral homes, by the end of 2020.

See also  BLACK THURSDAY! …As Gunmen Abduct Man’s 4 Wives *No Clue Yet –Police
See also  Flood: 28 States, 102 LGAs at Risk, NEMA Warns

We salute our front line health workers for putting their lives on the line for the generality of Nigerians. We sympathise with families who lost their loved ones, as a result of this global pandemic, and call on all Nigerians to adhere to safety protocols and guidelines so that the disease will be defeated”.

© 2020, Scud News. All rights reserved.

- Advertisement -

Most Popular

How Abacha’s Son Died In Abuja… The Untold Story

Controversy over sudden death of Mr. Abdullahi Abacha, son of late General Sani Abacha, in Abuja, the nation's capital city on Saturday.

Corruption, Criminal Conspiracy, Forgery Impersonation In Nsitf

RE: CORRUPTION, CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, FORGERY IMPERSONATION, GROSS VIOLATION OF PROCUREMENT ACT, TORTURE AND THREAT TO LIFE AGAINST DR. CHRIS NGIGE, MRS.MAUREEN ALLAGOA,...

Police Escorts Go Haywire At Sokoto Airport Over Ex-Gov Yari’s Largesse

Three police officers attached to a former governor of the State, Abdul’aziz Yari, displayed a show of shame at the Sokoto Airport on Friday.

Dangote’s Top Expatriate Manager Commits Suicide

Residents of Okpella in Edo State are bewildered over the death of a top-ranking expatriate staff of the Dangote Cement Factory at the bustling community in

© 2020 – 2021, Scud News. All rights reserved.

%d bloggers like this: