Catholic Church suspends Masses in Sokoto as irate Muslim youths vandalise property

* Gov imposes 24 hour curfew

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah, has suspended all masses in Sokoto, after the violent protests over the arrest of suspects in the murder of a Christian student, Deborah Samuel, by irate Muslims youths.

The suspension was conveyed through a statement on Saturday signed by the Director, Social Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr Christopher Omotosho.

It read: “The Sokoto State Government has declared a 24-hour curfew to help stem the ongoing protests embarked upon by Muslim youth in the state capital today.

“During the protest, groups of youths led by some adults in the background attacked the Holy Family Catholic Cathedral at Bello Way, destroying church glass windows, those of the Bishop Lawton Secretariat were also attacked and a community bus parked within the premises vandalised.

“St. Kevin’s Catholic Church Gidan Dere, Eastern By-pass, was also attacked and partly burnt; windows of the new hospital complex under construction, on the same premises were shattered.

“They were promptly dispersed by a team of Mobile policemen before they could do further damage.

“The hoodlums also attacked the Bakhita Centre located along Aliyu Jodi Road and burnt down a bus within the premises.”

Bishop Kukah had described as criminal, the gruesome murder of Deborah Yakubu, a 200-level Home Economics student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, North-West Nigeria.

He said that those who are guilty of this inhuman act, no matter their motivation, should be punished according to the extant laws of the land.

The statement added that, “Contrary to information in circulation, we wish to disclaim that there was an attack of any sort on the residence of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah,” and “all masses in Sokoto metropolis have been suspended until the curfew is lifted.”

Meanwhile, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, in a broadcast on Saturday, imposed a 24-hour curfew in the metropolis, to avert an escalation of the crisis.