A witness, who gave his name as
Christopher, told The Nation that the
incident occurred at St. Peters Catholic
Church Gidan-Waya area of Jama’a local
government area of the state.
He said the soldiers allegedly shot the
church’s security guards who mounted a
temporary stop and search check point in
front of their church during mass, adding
that many other worshippers sustained
various degrees of injuries.
“The clash occurred at about 10.00am
when church service was on. A soldier
approached the church’s watch men
popularly known as Cadet and ordered
them to dismantle the temporary check
point during the church service, but the
boys refused the order on the argument
that church service was ongoing and that
they would do as soon as service was
over, but the soldier was dissatisfied with
the explanation,” he said.
Christopher, who is a residence of Gidan-
Waya, further stated that the soldier went
back and mobilised his colleagues who
stormed the church and started shooting
at the local guards.
“The gunshots ended the church service.
Women and youths immediately reacted
to the shooting by confronting the soldiers
as a result of which one Soldier and three
civilians were injured,” Christopher said.
Another witness, who spoke on condition
of anonymity, said the incident led to a
clash between residents and soldiers,
adding that a block of flat at a staff
quarters belonging to Kaduna State
college of Education Gidan- Waya
occupied by the military personnel, was
burnt with two guns carted away.
A resident who gave his name as Bulbs
Jatau said: “Six people were killed, a flat
occupied by some army personnel burnt
while many people were injured.”
A lecturer at the college who did not want
his name in print revealed that a 200-level
student was among the people killed by
the soldiers bullets.
“A soldier has a motorcycle he uses as a
means of transportation. The cadet boys
manning the Church during Mass had told
him that each time there is Church
programme, he should not increase the
acceleration of his motorcycle but he
refused to abide by what the boys told
him. Today, he was passing during
church Mass and the road was closed. He
started shouting at the boys asking why
they blocked the road, as the argument
was ongoing, he returned to a check-
point and mobilised other army personnel
and they came shooting. As they were
shooting, a certain man coming back
from another church was hit by the bullet
and he died instantly. One of the cadet
boys was shot but he died at a hospital,”
the lecture said.
Another witness, however, revealed that
the situation has sparked a reaction from
residents of the community as youths and
women are protesting unclad, adding that
the mobile policemen that were mobilised
from Kafanchan shot tear-gas to disperse
the protesters.
“The incident also turned violent as four
people also dropped dead when the
protesters blocked all roads leading to
Abuja, Jos and Kafanchan in protest of
the killing. All the checkpoints in the area
have been dismantled and the military
men have been withdrawn to Kafanchan.
The soldiers have told the traditional ruler
that they will come back in the night to
search for their guns,” another resident
said.
When the spokesperson for the 1
Mechanised Division, Kaduna, Col. Abdul
Usman was contacted, he refused to
answer his phone or reply the text
message sent to him.
It was gathered that, some of the people
that survived the clash are currently
receiving treatment at a State General
Hospital.
Recall that Rev. Fr Anselm Onyeka, a
Catholic priest, has criticized the constant
gathering of tithe from worshippers in
some churches, describing the act as
stealing from the people.
