El Rufai Shuts Down Churches, Seminary, Church Hospital

Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State has orderd the immediate
closure of two churches, a seminary and a church-owned hospitals and
secondary school all in Saminaka, Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna
State.
He said the closure was to avoid the eruption of violence among
factions of the congregations whose leaderships' positions he
described as, "principally to preserve their personal interests with
little concern for the common good, and the peace and security of
Kaduna State".

A statement on behalf of the governor sign by his spokesman, Samuel
Aruwan Wednesday in Kaduna named the affected bodies as:

Theological Seminary of Northern Nigeria, (TSNN), Shalom Comprehensive
College, Assemblies of God Church, AGC, Nmbare all in Saminaka.

The rest are: Assemblies of God Church (Jerusalem) and AGC Evangelist
Hospital, also in Saminaka:

Reads the statement:

"The Kaduna State Security Council at its 15th meeting, held on the
15th September, 2015, deliberated on the leadership crisis in the
Assemblies of God Church, AGC, Saminaka District, Lere local
government area of the state.

"The council discussed this matter in the context of preventing
threats to the peace and stability of the State.

"The Council noted that the leadership crisis has led to
disintegration of order in the church, and raised tensions between the
followers of the rival camps.

The crisis has also widened to the students of the church-owned school
and seminary, who are now split and divided on factional lines.

"The Council reviewed previous efforts made to resolve the crisis. It
noted that these were aborted by those involved in the leadership
tussle, principally to preserve their personal interests with little
concern for the common good, and the peace and security of Kaduna
State.

"The Council unanimously agreed that if left unchecked, the growing
tension may degenerate into total breakdown of law and order in the
said area, with the potential to spread to other parts of the state.

"Therefore, the Council has taken steps to preserve the peace. It has
unanimously directed the immediate closure of the following:

"Theological Seminary of Northern Nigeria, (TSNN) Saminaka. Shalom
Comprehensive College, Saminaka Assemblies of God Church, Nmbare,
Saminaka and Assemblies of God Church (Jerusalem) Saminaka AGC
Evangelist Hospital, Saminaka
"As a result of these measures, those who may be affected will be
admitted into government schools or hospitals, if they exercise the
option.

"The Council also directed that the status quo with regard to
farmlands, houses and other assets of the church be upheld pending
resolution of the leadership crisis, which is a matter before the
Supreme Court.
"Kaduna State Government wishes to reiterate that it will not tolerate
the use of religion and ethnicity to cause crisis in the state.

"The government has also announced that it will prosecute anyone, no
matter his or her standing, that is implicated in fomenting crisis in
whatever form in the State", the statement concluded.

-Vanguard