Southern Kaduna: How Fulanis, Christians worship together in Kaduna church
(Ass National Sec, MACBAN, Ibrahim Abdullahi speaking during the church service in Kaduna on Sunday)
//Godwin Ekosin, Kaduna, Southwest Nigeria//
A team of MACBAN headed by its Assistant National Secretary, Mallam Ibrahim Abdullahi on Sunday attended a church service at Christ Evangelical Intercessory Fellowship Ministry, Sabon Tasha kaduna to start what he called necessary solidarity and peace advocacy to end crisis in southern Kaduna.
The occasion, which was the first of its kind as regular worshipers at the church service were caught in surprise and shock to find themselves mixed with Fulanis sitting with them at the same church while listening to sermon.
According to Abdullahi, the aim of the visit was to strengthens peace, unity, tolerance and better understanding among different faith base organizations, to support the general overseer of the church and to encourage him in his efforts to bringing peaceful coexistence back to the entire people of southern Kaduna who have been caught in reprisals.
According to the Fulani leader, “we have decided to start reaching out to Christian brothers especially those in southern Kaduna. We started with Pastor Yohanna Buru because he is such a reputable individual who has been doing a lot to see that there is peace and reconciliation there.
“He is also one of our spiritual representatives because we have a committee called Southern Kaduna People Committee on Peace and Reconciliation. So, we decide to go to the church in solidarity and support with him and of course its just a kind of solidarity and peace advocacy.
”We need peace in all the local government of southern Kaduna. We really need to sit down with all the tribes, Traditionalists including Hausas, Fulanis, and all the peace stakeholders in the region, so that we can support government’s efforts in finding solution to all the crisis disturbing peace stability in the entire southern Kaduna region.
“We must together stand as one brothers and sisters in the region irrespective of our religious, cultural and ethnicities differences in bringing an end to the continuous killing of innocent citizens, and the destruction of million of property, which is setting our region backward day by day”, added Abdullahi.
In a remark, Chairman of MACBAN in the state, Alhaji Haruna Usman expressed his happiness over the increase peace in the state adding that there is the need for the state and federal government to redouble more effort in restoring peace in the region.
He then called on every Nigerian to support the region with prayers as God hears his people prayer, while appealing to government at all level to open more chances for interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians and to involve the traditional believers with everyone to participate in bringing back peace and development to the area.
Responding on behalf of the church Pastor Buru thanked the Fulani group for coming to the church with the aim of promoting peace and dialogue on various ways to end the crisis disturbing the area.
“We as people of southern part of Kaduna must work as a team to make the region look great again. Muslims, Christian as well as traditional believers must embark on serious prayers for God’s intervention so as to end the killings and destruction of houses in the area that is setting the entire region backward when compare to other part of the state”, Buru added.