Kachia Mosques &Churches on Fire as Xtian and Muslim Youth retaliates in Kaduna

The peace in Kachia town of Kaduna State was disrupted on Sunday, as adherents of the two major religions were embroiled in crisis, following an alleged demolition of places of worship by Christians and Muslims from different communities in the Kachia locality.
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Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State had, on Sunday, warned that his, “government will not fold its arms and allow enemies of peace cause mayhem in the state.”

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Aminu Lawal, had told newsmen that “the situation is under control, as our men are fully on the ground. No life is lost, but we don’t have the number of worship places that were burnt. We will let you know in due course as we don’t want to give wrong figures.”

Kachia, about 150km from Kaduna, is home to many military formations and had enjoyed peace for many years, until recently when some youths were alleged to have demolished the fence round the Muslim prayer ground in the area.

However, on reporting to the local authorities, the fence was rebuilt and peace was restored in the area, but the second demolition of the fence round the Muslim prayer ground, allegedly by Christian youths in the community, incurred the wrath of their Muslim counterparts, who allegedly took laws into their hands to retaliate.

 The crisis had led  to a forceful demolition and burning of mosques and churches in the area, causing tension and panic across the state.

According to an eyewitness, “on Saturday when the youth saw another damage in the prayer ground, hell was let loose.” 
“The youth suspected members of a near-by church to be responsible for the continuous damaging of the prayer ground and descended on the church, causing it to be demolished.”

“The alleged suspects did not take the demolition of the church lightly. They went wild, burning and demolishing mosques in the area, the eyewitness added.”

Tribune News

A 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State after violent clashes on Sunday led to the burning down of places of worship.

The Curfew was imposed to avoid an escalation of the crisis into other parts of the state.

A resident of the town told Channels Television that the crisis erupted on Sunday morning when they woke up and discovered that a portion of the fence of the Muslim Eid praying ground had been demolished by unknown persons, suspecting that members of a nearby church were responsible for the continuous damage of the prayer ground, some Muslim youth decided to take revenge by descending on the church and demolished it too.

The source said a church, two Mosques, two houses and two police vehicles were also destroyed during the violence clash.