KADUNA State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has an­nounced the immediate closure of two churches, a seminary school as well as hospital in Saminaka, Lere Local Govern­ment Area.
The governor gave the names of the affected worship plac­es as 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.
The closure, according to a statement by el-Rufai’s Spe­cial Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, was as a result of leadership crisis in the affected churches.
The governor said the measure, which was the outcome of the state security council meeting held on Tuesday, was to forestal possible breakdown of law and order in the area and the entire state.
The government, he said would not tolerate the use of reli­gion and ethnicity to cause crisis in the state.
He warned that he would prosecute anyone caught fo­menting crisis in whatever form.
He noted that as a result of the measures, those who might be affected by the closure would be admitted into govern­ment schools or hospitals, if they exercise the option.
The Council, the governor noted, 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.
The statement read: The Kaduna State Security Council at its 15th meeting, deliberated on the leadership crisis in the Assemblies of God Church in 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, 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.”