A speaker recounts three decades of sectarian violence against Christians in northern Nigeria, from the 2007 Galadima riot where gunfire killed a friend, to forced killings and church closures across Kaduna and Kano. Churches now have armed security and teach readiness for martyrdom.
Chapters
I shared the story with you. We were seated outside our house, 2007, Galadima riot. A vehicle came, parked, of course in a predominantly Christian environment, and brought out gun and shot. We ran! Came back, one of our brothers and friends, a small bullet hole from the back, the intestine was out. He was lying in the pool of his own blood. I was with the former PFN chairman of Kano. Last year. We're looking at the number of churches that are closing. I can tell you things. I shared the story of Linda with you. They brought out the mother. Linda was my classmate. Linda Bala, that's the surname. Brought out the mother, brought out the girl from the house, brought them out, told the mother, pick between you and your daughter who dies. The mother was hacked to death, and that girl lost her mind. That's not just anything. All these places we're talking about, I was born there. I've seen death. I have family members who are not alive for their faith. The way we were taught in church, we were taught to be ready to die. We'll be having service with tank outside, and I'm still going back there next week. I was there 2 weeks ago, and our church still starts in Kaduna this Sunday. I can tell you bloody stories from Gidan Maga to Malufashir, to Fontoua. I can start calling names off my head. Uncles, cousins, that they drag out their intestine. As a child, I'll see people running with their intestine in their hand because something had happened, they've stabbed them. I've done missions in the core of the north. Forget Soot. I can mention names many of you don't know. I schooled in Ekwa. Ekwa in Kano is a mission school. We sit down in class and watch missionaries return from mission field with coffins. What will you do about it now? Because many of these things have been going on for over 35 years. So to now say a man like me is justifying what's going on— we don't fear God.
