How Boko Haram attacked Deeper Life Church in Gombe

Last Thursday’s attack on Deeper Life Church Bogo District of Nassarawa in Gombe, Gombe State capital, by the members of Boko Haram has sent panic waves into the rank and file of the Christians in the north. No fewer than eight worshippers were said to have been allegedly killed by the group, while 22 others were injured in the incident.

According to the report of the attack, the church was having fellowship when suspected members of the Islamic sect struck and unleashed terror on the worshipers. The attacked followed the expiration of the ultimatum earlier issued out to all southerners to leave the north. But unfortunately, none of the members of the church had an inkling of the danger that was lurking until the group struck.

On this fateful day, everyone was in high spirit, as the wife of the pastor, Miracle Onyemachi, led the congregation in prayer session. The curtain was about drawn on the day’s service when the unexpected happened. Miracle recalled: “I was praying when I suddenly heard gunshots. I saw a man wearing thick black sweater by the window shooting. “I don’t know how many they are. There was blood everywhere. He was just shooting.”
She added, “All I can remember is how I fell down. Everybody was in deep prayer when the shooting started. The choir master, Chima, was shot in the chest and his wife was killed too. After some time, I ran away; I thought I had been killed.”

If Miracle was lucky enough to have escaped the attack, her father, George Onyemachi, was not that fortunate, as he had his left wrist chopped off by bullet, while his wife, Favour Onyemachi, was shot on the shoulder. The two were among 22 victims rushed to the Federal Medical Centre and the Specialist Hospital, Gombe for medical attention. Also injured was a 10-year old girl, Magdalene Esemi, who was shot in the abdomen during the attack.
The father of the girl, Esemi Markson, a mechanic, narrating the sad incident in an interview with Sunday Sun, had this to say, “That day, my wife travelled to Lagos. And I also did not go for the midweek service, but my three daughters-Grace, Ruth and Magdalene went to the church.

My son, Precious, was with me when we heard the sounds. We thought it was knockout. My son said, ‘Daddy I thought they have banned knock out. We were wondering what it was all about when we heard more sounds. Not quite long, my two daughters, Ruth and Grace ran to me that there was shooting in the church and they did not see Magdalene.”
He said Magdalene was shot as she was looking for her elder sisters.
According to him, Magdalene is now at the FMC and her condition is improving.
Virtually all shops and business outlets belonging to Christians especially those from Southern Nigeria were under lock and key yesterday when our correspondent went round some parts of the city.

The Group Coordinator of the Church, Pastor Bismark Binue, told Sunday Sun that the worshipers were observing miracle service when the gunmen struck, taking everyone by surprise. Expressing concern over the incessant attacks on the Christians, he said, “How do Christians continue to live like this in their own country? I want to call on President Jonathan to do something urgently about the situation. Let the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigerian (PFN) take decisions for all Christians. What has happened is unexplainable. What is the justification for attacking a small church and killing almost everybody? The blood of the innocent is upon the killers.”
Similarly, the state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Abare Kala, described the attack as very unfortunate.

Kala who spoke to journalists at Government House, Gombe, however, appealed to the Christians not to retaliate. “No one should retaliate as we just had our fasting for peace in the country. Let us be tolerant and I say those who carried out this dastardly act will not go unpunished because our God is a consuming God and vengeance belongs to him,” he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo on Friday paid a visit to the victims of the incident at the FMC and Specialist Hospital, appealing to the citizens of the state not to panic, saying adequate safety measures had been put in place to ensure safety of their lives and property. He also promised to take responsibility for medical bill of the victims as well as the burial expenses of those killed.



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