In Katsina State, Nigeria, churches were targeted and looted during a nationwide protest. Suspected hoodlums broke into several churches, stealing valuable items worth millions of naira.

On the first day of the protest, hoodlums invaded a Living Faith Church in the Daura Local Government Area, taking 205 chairs, musical instruments, and other items. Pastor David Sarki, who leads the church, confirmed the incident. The theft forced the cancellation of church services, and members had to worship at home instead.

According to Pastor Sarki, the hoodlums arrived around 10:00 am, breaking the church’s doors and windows before stealing everything inside, including musical instruments, a digital clock, a desktop computer, and important church documents. The attackers also targeted two other churches: they successfully looted the Deeper Life Church but could not breach the fortified gates of the Anglican Church.

Pastor Sarki expressed his shock and disappointment, highlighting that churches are places of worship and should be respected. He urged the government to address the issue and the perpetrators to seek repentance. He said, “When we are thinking about ending bad governance protests, which have now escalated to the invasion of churches, it is something that everyone should seriously condemn. It is not food that we store in the house of God; it is a place of worship. Why is it only a church?”

Similarly, Pastor Nelson Onyekachuku from the Power of Resurrection church reported that hoodlums damaged his church’s windows but couldn’t enter due to the iron protectors. Pastor Onyekachuku, who is also the former state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Katsina, condemned the actions, urging respect for places of worship and calling for an end to the violence against churches.

The police and army have been informed, and some arrests have been made. Both pastors emphasized the need for peace and called on the perpetrators to repent and seek forgiveness from God.