09/29/2021 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) –According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Reverend Yohanna Shuaibu, the chair of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kano state, Nigeria, and Reverend of New Life Church, died on Thursday from wounds inflicted on him during a mob attack.
“Rev Yohanna Shuaibu of New life Church was targeted after a young local man, who had left Islam and who attended neither the local church nor mosque, killed his brother’s wife on 21 September by hitting her with a piston during an argument,” reported the news source.
“The man subsequently surrendered himself to the Mobile Police Force (Mopol). However, as tensions rose following the incident, the reverend was advised to leave the area for a safer place, as he was likely to be targeted because members of the local Muslim community believed the man had converted to Christianity.”
After spending the night in a neighboring village, the Reverend and his family returned to their community on September 22nd to evacuate Christian school children due to safety concerns. Later that night, a mob attacked the Reverend’s home and, while his wife and children were able to escape, the reverend suffered multiple machete blows and succumbed to his wounds the next day.
“The mob went on to burn down the Shuaibus’ home, the church and the school,” reported CSW.
Kano state is one of 12 states in Nigeria governed by Sharia law, the influence of which encourages radical and extremist groups to act out against minorities. (Secular Sharia? Criminal Sharia Law and its Impact on Nigeria’s Christian Communities).
“Kano state has been a particular flashpoint of inter and intra-religious tensions where members of the majority religious community face no consequences for dispensing mob justice on an unfounded basis,” added CSW.
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