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Protesters on Thursday morning burnt down a church and a police outpost in Narayi community of Kaduna state.
The church set ablaze by the youth is called Celestial Church Narayi.
Reports said the protesters were demonstrating over the death of 21 years old Sylvester Friday who was working in the church before his death. They accused the pastor of the church, 78 years old Steven Shitu, of being responsible for the death, alleging that the victim was used for ritual by the church pastor.
It was gathered that Friday’s death occurred on Wednesday but police quickly put the pastor in protective custody after protesters tried to lynch him.
However, on Thursday morning, the protesters gathered again, setting the church and the police station ablaze.
The Public Relations Offcer of the Kaduna State Police Command, Aliyu Muktar, said five people were arrested in connection to the incident.
His words: “Yes it’s true that some miscreants set ablaze a Celestial church and a police outpost in Narayi. The church was completely burnt but the police outpost was not burnt completely,” he was quoted as saying.
“The youth were angry that police gave the church pastor 78 old Steven Babatunde Shitu protective custody. They demanded for his released so as to lynch him. But our personnel refused to hand him over to them so they decided to take laws into their hands.
“Our men dispersed them on Wednesday but they regrouped around 4 a.m. Thursday to attack the church and the outpost. So far five people have been arrested”