Posted by From Muhammad Ajah on
A Muslim School in Ebonyi state was attacked yesterday by youths believed to be hoodlums, leaving parts of the mosque and the staff quarters' buildings damaged.
A Muslim School in Ebonyi state was attacked yesterday by youths believed to be hoodlums, leaving parts of the mosque and the staff quarters' buildings damaged.
The attack which was carried out in the early hours of the morning, on the School of Arabic and Islamic Studies (SAIS), in Afikpo, witnesses say, is part of the several unsuccessful attempts in the past by groups and even individuals.
According to an eyew-itness, Mr. Abdurrazzaq Mu-stapha, a staff of the school, the hoodlums came in two buses without plate numbers after the first Adhaan (call to prayer), when the securityman had already opened the gate to allow worshippers into the premises within which the mosque is located.
He said the hoodlums parked their buses away from the gate and entered the premises pretending to be worshippers and started det-onating explosives when the Muslims were deep into prayers.
Mustapha said further that although the Muslims hurried over their prayers to confront the intruders, the hoodlums fled in their buses before the host community could get to the scene.
He said one of the buses developed mechanical fault about three kilometres from the venue forcing the hood-lums to abandon it and disa-ppear into the bush to avoid police arrest.
‘I live outside the school premises but come to pray even in the early hours of the day. The gateman opened the gate after the first Adhaan. But this morning, there was an inflow of worshippers into the premises which is not common because of the fact that students are on holidays'
‘So as we were praying, the sound of blast were heard in every corner of the school which made the Imam to hurry over the prayers. But before we could finish and come out, they had fled leaving some parts of the mosque building and the staff quarters damaged'
Another eyewitness said from the look of things that it seemed the assailants came from far, adding that one of the vehicles used by the hoodlums was now with the police area command.
Police sources confirmed the story but could not disc-lose if there were causalities.
The community leaders and youths of the community have however warned aga-inst any religious uprising in the area, even as some of them have condemned the assault.
It would be recalled that in the wake of the recent Onitsha killings which an indigene of Afikpo was invo-lved, parts of the city had threatened to destroy Islamic centre to make up for the loss of their son in the religious crises.
Meanwhile, Muslims in Afikpo local government area have expressed fear for their lives and property follo-wing the attack on the Islamic school in the city.
The fears which started shortly after the Onitsha cri-ses seem to be reinforced by yesterday's attack. Muslims do not go to their worship places freely since the Onitsha crisis while the women could not use veils for fear of being identified and attacked by the anti-Islamic groups or individuals.