A middle aged woman has been arrested and kept under the custody of Bauchi Police Command for allegedly attempting to set St. John’s Cathedral Church situated along Yandoka Road in the Bauchi State capital ablaze.

The Catechist of the church, Mr. John Daniel, said he was at the residence of the priest of the church when the incident occurred. Daniel who identified the suspect as one LYDIA JOSEPH, who was converted by the Charismatic Renewal Ministry of the church said: “She used to come and fellowship with us but she is not a member of the church.”

Mr. John said the suspect after entering the church poured fuel on the chairs inside the church and lit a lighter and was on her way out when a member who was in the church to pray saw her and raised an alarm.

“We had to rush in and put off the fire. Fortunately for us, a man praying in the church saw her and shouted that the gates should be locked, but many including the security men did not understand and before the gate was locked, she had ran out and the man followed her and caught her”, said the catechist.

A member of the church who gave an account of the incident said Lydia Joseph went into the St. John Catholic Church at about 12: 30 in the afternoon last Saturday with a jerry can of fuel.

Lydia lied to the security men at the gate that the content of the jerry can was kerosene, and that she wanted to pray.”

Confirming the incident yesterday to Daily Trust in Bauchi the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Barau said the members of the church arrested the woman and alerted the police that a woman was caught with a jerry can and a lighter while trying to set the church ablaze. The suspect is currently in police custody.source.www.dailytrust.com



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