09/07/2022 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) – Samaila Sabo Awudu, 28, a Christian man posted in Yola, Nigeria, for his youth corps service duty, was killed on August 26.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a Nigerian government program designed to involve Nigerian graduates in the country’s development. All graduates are required to serve with the NYSC for one year after they graduate. Samaila had recently graduated from the Federal University in Taraba state, Nigeria, with a degree in biochemistry. He was stationed at the Elkanemi College of Islamic Theology for his service year.
At 1:30 AM on August 26, while he was sleeping in his room at the living quarters for the NYSC members, at least five men broke in and assaulted him with machetes. The assailants reportedly locked the other youth corps members’ doors before attacking Samaila and killing him. Tragically, this is not the first time that NYSC members have been killed while on duty.
Speaking at Samaila’s funeral, his brother told the attendees that, “We were told by some of his colleagues, corps members, that a group of five armed Muslims attacked him when they broke into his residence at the NYSC lodge in Yola and cut him with machetes. He was taken by police officers who went there to the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, where he died.”
It is strongly suggested that the attack was religiously motivated.
Samaila’s pastor, Rev. Philip Agbu, pastor of the Christian Reformed Church-Nigeria (CRC-N) congregation in Gindin Dorowa, spoke at his funeral, saying that Samaila was a committed member of the church and had “lived an exemplary life, worthy of emulation.”
Please pray for Samaila’s family and community as they mourn the loss of Samaila.
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