Boko Haram Burns Churches, Force Women Into Marriages In Gwoza

The Catholic Church has complained that the Boko Haram insurgents have taken over the parish rectory of its Church and other houses of Christians after last week’s attack on Madagali in Adamawa State.

Director, Social Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, gave the revelation on Thursday, in an electronic statement sent to journalists in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie, said Christians and Christian institutions had been at the receiving end of the satanic group.

“The whole town and the Parish rectory have been occupied by the terrorists; so many structures and items have been vandalised. Dozens killed and a lot of church structures have been burnt down.”

“The Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram has advanced greatly in their rampage and killings, to the extent of declaring a Caliphate in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, a town bordering Borno and Adamawa states.

“As it is well known, the catholic diocese of Maiduguri covers the whole of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, the three states under strict emergency rule.

“Apart from the churches within Maiduguri that have great share of such attacks by the terrorists group, all the churches on the major road linking Maiduguri and Adamawa state have been closed down due to same acts of terrorism. St Timothy’s Bama had been under siege since last year.

 The Parish priest, Rev. Fr. Timothy Cosmas, had long been relocated to a different Parish. At the early part of this year St. Peter’s Pulka was badly attacked. Thanks to God the Pastor Fr. James John was luckily unavailable. The terrorists searched and wanted to kill the holy Priest of God.

 “Lately, precisely on Friday the 22th August 2014, the dreaded group had moved steadily and yet more boldly into Gwoza, which is in Borno State and the neighbouring Madagali Local Government Area in Adamawa State. Declaring a caliphate!!! 

The assisting priest of St. Denis Madagali, Fr. Aiden Ibrahim, fled the Parish with some of his Parishioners to the mountains, upon hearing serious fire battle from the terrorists. 

Since the curfew declared after wards was dusk to dawn, they had to travel on foot through the mountains up on till Michika, a neighbouring local government area where movement was free. Since then Madagali and Gwoza had been greatly under siege and strictly controlled by the Boko Haram sects.”

Fr. Gideon said the situation in Madagali remained unclear, adding that people who escaped from the town through the Gwoza hills to Michika could explain it.

“Madagali is a local government that borders Borno and Adamawa states, the closest town to Gwoza . It has a large number of Catholics, and members of other Christian denominations.

 And a good number of Muslims. It is quite eloquent that terrorism has no friend, but it is abundantly clear that the Christians are worst hit. It might surprise you to know that no one knows the state of affairs in this terrorist zone.

“Report reaching the Director Social Communications, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie, in Maiduguri has it that the whole town and the parish rectory have been occupied by the terrorists, so many structures and items have been vandalised.

 Dozen killed and a lot of church structures have been burnt down. Christians in the town are really in a terribly situation; a moment of great persecution. Christian men were caught and beheaded; the women were forced to become Muslims and were taken as wives to the terrorists.

 The houses of Christians that have fled are now occupied by the Haramists . Their cars are used by the terrorists. 

Some Boko Haram sympathisers around the town identify Christian homes to be occupied and the Christians hiding were also identified and killed. Strict Sharia Law has been promulgated, as observed by a woman who luckily escaped the dead zone.

“The situation, as it is now, has really and truly gone out of control. People are finding it really hard, citizens are being killed in their numbers. Hope Nigeria would be real in handling the dwindling state of insecurity that has enveloped the entire North east,” the statement said.