The intense fighting at the St. Mary’s Catholic church in Abuja earlier today was reportedly caused by aggrieved community members, who were protesting against the death of a Hausa man who allegedly died victim of torturing by the Nigerian Army and Police.
The incident started when a Hausa man was prevented from parking his car near the church by security forces guarding the church. This is the regular practice in the area in attempt to forestall incidence of car bomb attacks and suicide attacks against churches.
However the man resisted the police officers and the army officers present. He was then ordered to frog jump and faced other drills. He reportedly died as a result of the torture which in turn sparked the community. The neighbors in the area got hostile and decided to attack the church.
The area around the church was not spared of the chaos as fires were lit by the weapon wielding mob and police fired live rounds to quell the chaos, succeeding in making things worse.
The incident serves as a reminder of the deep divisions and emerging sentiments that are creeping into the citizenry ahead of the 2015 elections.
Leave a Reply