A joint effort by the Nigerian
army and police earlier today
prevented the attempted
burning of St. Mary's Catholic
Church in Nyanya area of the
federal capital territory in
Abuja.
Sources at the church told
SaharaReporters that trouble
started when a Hausa-speaking
Muslim man in the area was
prevented from parking his car
too close to the church building.
The measure was put in place as
a way of preventing Islamist
militants from attacking
Christian places of worship on
Sundays.
The man, however, resisted the
police and soldiers guarding the
church. An argument ensued
leading to his arrest and
humiliation by the security
agents who told him to "frog-
jump" in front of the church.
After his release by the police,
the man reportedly went into
the community to mobilize some
people to attack the church and
burn it down.
Panicked church members left
the church leaving their cars
behind.
However, a swift intervention by
police and soldiers prevented
the man and his mob from
burning the church. The security
agents then started shooting in
the area leading more residents
to flee the immediate vicinity of
the crisis.
According to Saharareporters
the man arrested and tortured
by the soldiers died after he was
tortured. The events following
this was a protest by commercial
bike riders in the area to protest
his death at the hand of the
soldiers guarding the church.
There is still no official
confirmation at to what really
transpired in Nyanya. All church
members have been released
from the church to go home as
shooting the area has died
down.