Youths accuse Kaduna pastor of murder, burn church, police post

The death of a 21-year-old Sylvester Friday sparked violence at Narayi/ Bayan Dutse community in Chikun local government area of Kaduna state on Wednesday as youths in the area accused a Celestial church pastor of killing him.

The late Sylvester, Daily Trust gathered, was engaged as a mason by the Celestial church pastor, Steven Babatunde Shittu, 78, to construct a concrete demarcation inside a river beside the church when he fell into the river and died.

On hearing of the incident, youths in the area concluded that the pastor used the boy for rituals and immediately razed the church and a jeep belonging to a member.

It was gathered that immediately the incident occurred, the pastor ran to a nearby police station to report, but the angry youths took to the street, burning the Narayi police post, vandalizing a Honda Accord car belonging to an officer, and carting away some motorcycles belonging to police personnel.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer ASP Aliyu Muktar said, “The youths were angry that the police gave the church pastor protective custody. They demanded his release to lynch him. Our men dispersed them on Wednesday but they regrouped around 4am yesterday to attack the church and the outpost. So far, five people have been arrested,” he said.

It was gathered that Sylvester, the first born in a family of four children, did menial jobs to support his mother after his father was hit with stroke.