UP TO FIFTEEN PEOPLE KILLED IN RIOTS AFTER STABBING OF EVANGELIST

NIGERIA

4 August 2003

On 9 June, in the town of Numan, north-eastern Nigeria, Mohammed Salisu stabbed Mrs Esther Ethan to death after she had been engaged in street evangelism. An enraged Christian mob chased the killer, who took refuge in a police station. Thwarted in their attempts to catch him, they directed their anger against Muslim individuals and property.

After Mrs Ethan finished her evangelistic activities she walked the short distance to her home with Salisu following close behind. Local police and the media claim that she had disagreed with the itinerant water seller over the price of a jerry can of water; however her children, who saw him emerge from the house moments later carrying a knife dripping with blood, have denied this, saying that they never heard any argument. The family insist the media and police have distorted the story and that their mother’s killing was religiously motivated.

A group of Christians gave chase to Salisu after the alarm was raised, but he was able to run to the local police station to take refuge. Unfortunately the thwarted mob targeted their anger against other Muslim individuals and their property; the Muslim community, a minority in Numan, responded to this violence in a like manner. After at least two days of total disorder, during which many citizens fled the town, up to 15 people were killed and four mosques and three churches razed.

Since the establishment of shari’a in twelve states of northern Nigeria, relations between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have become very tense. The Christian community in the Muslim majority shari’a states have both lost accustomed freedoms and had harsh new punishments imposed on them. Numan is in the state of Adamawa, which does not have shari’a, but the Muslim population is growing with an influx from further north. Thus is not inconceivable that Adamawa may eventually adopt shari’a.

In the face of widespread application of shari’a the Church’s call for a non-violent response is usually heeded, although when they face attacks from Muslim extremists Christians do often take up arms to defend themselves. What is unusual is for mob violence to be initiated by Christians. Sadly, but understandably, many Christians in Numan resent the immigrant Muslim population as they have no wish to live under shari’a like their co-religionists in the twelve northern states.

PRAY

Pray that peace would be restored between the Muslim and Christian communities in Numan.

Pray that Christians would not respond to any situation with violence.

Pray for the Ethan family and everybody who has lost family members in the violence; pray for all those injured and the thousand or so made homeless.

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