No fewer than 205 chairs, musical instruments and other equipment worth millions of naira were reported stolen by hoodlums in Katsina State on the first day of the ongoing nationwide planned peaceful protest against hardship.

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PUNCH Online reports that the hoodlums invaded a Living Faith Church in the Daura Local Government Area of the state, looting 205 chairs, musical instruments, and other valuable items worth millions of naira.

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The Pastor in charge of the church, David Sarki, told our correspondent in Katsina on Sunday that the church service could not be held due to the incident.

He said, “Because the hoodlums took everything inside the church on the first day of the protest, they decided to worship at their various home cells.

“We have two security personnel working in the church; one was on duty while the other was off. When the protest began around 10:00 am, the hoodlums just diverted to the church, many of them in Keke Napep (tricycle), broke the door and windows and entered the church auditorium.

“They took everything inside the church auditorium, including the wall digital clock, musical instruments, pulpit, pastor’s chairs, plastic chairs, a desktop computer at the reception, and a scoreboard where the accountant usually kept church documents. They scattered everything.

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“Three churches were their target. They succeeded in invading the Living Faith Church and Deeper Life, but couldn’t gain access to the third one, which is the Anglican Church, because of the strong protection at the gate.”

He added, “We have informed the police and the army about it, and the police told us yesterday that they have made some arrests.

“I am surprised by this attack. When we are thinking about ending bad governance protests, which have now escalated to the invasion of churches, it is something that everyone should seriously condemn. It is not food that we store in the house of God; it is a place of worship. Why is it only a church? The government should come to the reality that they are serving humanity, and God will judge us all, whether political or religious leaders.

“My prayer for the perpetrators is that they should repent from what they are doing because for you to enter a church, a place of worship, is wrong, and you know you are not fighting, man. They should seek repentance. I know God is forgiving, and He will forgive them.”

Similarly, the Pastor in charge of Power of Resurrection in Katsina State, Nelson Onyekachuku, whose church was also invaded by the hoodlums during the protest in Katsina town, lamented the vandalisation of the church windows as the hoodlums could not gain access to the building due to the iron protectors of the church gate.

Onyekachuku, who is also the former state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Katsina, condemned the action entirely, noting that they should not add to the pain of the church.

He called on the government to change its policy, address the issues of the people and always ensure the protection of the church whenever such an incident happens.

No official statement has been released by the State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sadiq Abubakar, as he is not responding to messages sent to his cell phone.