Terrorists kill pastor, 10 worshippers
Barely a week after unknown gunmen struck in a Catholic Church in Chakawa village in Madagali local government area of Adamawa State, killing over 35 persons, another community in the local government has been attacked by suspected terrorists who killed a pastor and 10 members of his congregation.
The latest attack occurred on Friday night when gunmen attacked the EYN Church at Sabo Gari Gemadai Ward in Gulak, the local government headquarters.
The Chairman of the local government, Mr. Ularamu Maina, who confirmed the attack, disclosed that the pastor in-charge of the church was among those killed during the attack. According to him, the attackers, in their large number, at about 8.30 pm, stormed the church where worshippers were undergoing night vigil.
'On entering the church, the attackers started shooting sporadically killing many people, including the pastor', Maina stated.
'The attack left the town in confusion as people ran helter skelter even as the attackers continued to unleash terror and wanton killings'.
The attack came hours after the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Ahmadu Fintiri, visited Chakawa village, venue of last Sunday attack, where he sympathized with the people and donated relief materials.
The Speaker, while fielding questions from newsmen, called on the Federal Government to deploy more troops to the area to enable them cover all the nooks and crannies in the mountainous terrain.
He observed that the state of emergency presently operating in the state only covers the highways, leaving rural dwellers at the mercy of attackers.
Fintiri warned that unless urgent measures are adopted by the authorities, the people of Madagali local government, which shares common border with Borno State, might migrate enmasse.
Apart from the terror attacks, the local government has, of recent, become a hot political bed in Adamawa State as the deputy governor, Bala James Ngillari, Special Adviser on Political Affairs to Mr. President, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, and the House Speaker, Ahmadu Fintiri, hail from the local government and belong to different political groups.