Amid Claim Of ‘Religious Bias’, Borno Rebuilt 9 Churches Destroyed By Boko Haram
POLITICS DIGEST – Against all odds, nine churches destroyed by Boko Haram terrorists in 2010 were all rebuilt by the Borno State government, it was discovered by a PRNigeria fact-check titled: Is Borno Government Attempting to ‘Wipe Out Churches’ in the State?
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had accused the Borno State Government of trying to wipe out churches from the state as widely reported in the media.
The association also condemned the demolition of a church building in Maiduguri and the killing of a church member on Thursday.
In its press conference on Saturday, August 7, 2021, CAN said the demolition of EYN Church building was part of a plot by the state government to “ensure the non-existence of churches in the state.”
Led by its state chairperson, Mohammed Naga, the CAN officials said BOGIS has singled out churches for demolition.
CAN described the deployment of earth-moving equipment to the EYN Church and the shootings on Thursday as the height of intolerance of churches by BOGIS and its officials.
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But investigations by PRNigeria via onsite checks and impartial sources reveals that the Borno State Government actually demolished 11 Mosques and 4 Churches for flouting land laws in an exercise that began on 29th May 2021, contrary to claims that only Churches are being targeted for extermination.
Some of the mosques demolished were around Fato Sandi, Jos Road, Kano Road, Baga Road and Galadima areas of the State metropolis.
Meanwhile in a letter dated 4th February 2010, from the Borno State Implementation Committee of Government White Paper on the Boko Haram Insurgency in the State, addressed to the General Manager Borno State Urban Planning and Development and signed by Mohammed Hassan, the then Secretary of the Committee, stressed that one of the resolutions of the Committee is that “no residential accommodation should be converted into a place of worship for the public by adherents of whichever faith without due compliance with the provision of any extant law.” This points to the state’s government’s deliberate policy on urban renewal with NO particular reference to Churches.
“All facts associated with claims that the Borno State Government under the administration of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum wants to wipe out Christians from the state proves beyond a reasonable doubt to be FALSE, Unfounded and Misleading allegations,” PRNigeria concluded.
