Following a violent clash on Thursday between officials of the Borno State Geographical Information System (BOGIS), and worshippers at a branch of EYN Church in Maiduguri, which led to the death of a worshipper and several injured, the state Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, is scheduled to meet with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Maiduguri on Friday.
The meeting, according to the Governor’s Special Adviser on Relations and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau, in a statement made available to Ripples Nigeria, is part of the Governor ’s efforts to intervene in the crisis as well as curbing future occurrences.
To this end, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has ordered security agents to immediately investigate the incident, and has also condemned the firing of gunshots by a member of the security task force as well as some people who hurled stones at the task force during an encounter yesterday,” the statement said.
Governor Zulum has commiserated with families of the dead and those injured.
“He also commiserated with the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Borno State, Bishop Mohammed Naga, the Christian community and leadership and family of the EYN Church in Borno State.
“Gov. Zulum has also invited the CAN leadership for a meeting scheduled for 5:30pm today (Friday) at the Government House in Maiduguri.
“He has also directed the Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur, to visit the hospital where the five injured people are receiving treatment, to empathise with them and also take over the cost of their treatment.”
According to a security operative in the state, the crisis reportedly arose from a misunderstanding when officials of BOGIS, alongside a joint security task force, went to the church for regulation of land administration and urban development measures, some of which have affected worship centres (mosques and churches) built without compliance with the laid down rules and regulations.
