_WORLD WATCH______________________________
____________________ Nigeria ________________

New religious riots
Reacting to evangelist’s visit
At least two Christians were killed and nine churches vandalized when up to 1,000 Muslims went on a 5-hour rampage in southwestern Nigeria, according to the London-based human-rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

Muslims in the area of Osogbo were protesting the planned visit of German evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. Osogbo is the capital of Osun, a state dominated by the Yoruba, a tribe evenly divided along religious lines and with a long tradition of religious tolerance.

One of the dead men, a pastor’s son, had been spotted by Muslim youths putting up posters advertising the Bonnke event. According to eyewitnesses, he was targeted by Muslim assailants, who forced their way into the family home, strangled him, and then dragged his corpse away from his house.

The riot was said to have been incited by the Tafsir (the daily Ramadan sermon) of a radical preacher named Alfa Adegbite. Members of Tobliq, an Islamic group from a neighboring state, were reported to have come to Osogbo specifically for the riot.

After visiting the vandalized churches the governor of the Osun state, Bisi Akande, a Muslim, praised the Christian community for exercising restraint. The governor gave assurances that those responsible for the violence would be brought to justice.

Bonnke has held several meetings throughout Nigeria that have been attended by vast numbers of people of all faiths. He is no stranger to controversy and violent reaction. Ten years ago hundreds of people died when Muslims protested against his presence in the predominantly Muslim town of Kano. The evangelist was also forced to cancel a rally in Khartoum earlier this year, after Sudanese authorities withdrew permission for the event, citing security concerns.

Back to Catholic World Report January 2002 Table of Contents