Pastor Injured, Houses Burnt Burnt Over Alleged Blasphemy In Bauchi.

A pastor has allegedly been injured and many houses have been burned by irate youths who went on the rampage over alleged blasphemy in the Katangan area of Warji Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

Details of the incident, according to The PUNCH, were still sketchy at the time of filing this report.

It was learned that the trouble began when a message was allegedly circulated on social media accusing a Christian girl in the town of blasphemy against Islam.

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A source confirmed the incident to our correspondent, saying, “Yes, the incident is true.” It is a result of the alleged blasphemy incident that occurred in Sokoto last week.

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“What I learnt was that a Christian girl allegedly posted and commented on something on social media which has to do with the incident in Sokoto and that was how it started.

“The situation there is more than tension since many houses have been burnt down. But no life that was lost, to the best of my knowledge.

“A shop which belongs to an ECWA Church in the area was also burnt down. And I learnt that the District Head of the area and the leaders are on top of the situation. The police have also been informed about it.”

Another source said, “We were at home this evening when we heard shouts from some muslim youths in their numbers who went on the rampage and besieged an ECWA Church in the area.

“But Christian youths and others resisted and repelled them but that was after they had burnt down a shop attached to the church. Many houses were burnt down by the rampaging youths.

“In the process, one of the pastors of the ECWA church was seriously wounded; as I speak to you now, efforts are on to save his life.”

In a phone interview, one of the state leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed the incident to journalists.

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He stated that the state’s Commissioner of Police and the Senior Special Assistant to the Bauchi State Governor on Christian Religious Affairs are aware of the situation.

He urged the state’s Christian community not to let the situation deteriorate.

Attempts to obtain confirmation from the Bauchi State Police Command on the incident were futile.

Several calls to Ahmed Wakil, the Public Relations Officer, were not answered or returned as of the time of filing this report.