According to information obtained from a reliable source, the Christian community in Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria, is being forced to close churches or face attacks.
Zamfara State Police Command verified the threat to SaharaReporters, stating that they were on top of the situation.
DSP Mohammed Shehu, a spokesman for the command, confirmed to our correspondent that the police were aware of the threat letter in question.
It was him who claimed, "To be sure, a threat letter was delivered to Christians in Zamfara State, ordering them to stop worshipping and closing churches, which I can guarantee is real. In reality, the police alerted Christian leaders to the peril they were facing.
"Therefore, the state's Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leadership has been called to meet with the state's Christian Party (CP) leadership to discuss security measures surrounding churches.
"In this context, the CP has established a special squad to police and safeguard worshippers, particularly on Sundays. CP Special Squad
Furthermore, plain-clothes personnel have been assigned to gather intelligence and track down those responsible for the threat letter, according to the spokesperson.
Christians all over the world were asked to pray for the people of Zamfara and other parts of northern Nigeria, according to a Christian leader who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Sunday night.
It was he who remarked, "Let us pray for Christians in Northern Nigeria, particularly in Zamfara Area, where we have been given a three-year deadline to shut down all churches in the state by the government.
"The attack on several churches is scheduled to take place between now and the end of December, albeit the churches that would be targeted, according to the Fulani organization that submitted the letter, are located on the outskirts of town, so we assume it's all a ruse.
"The same letter was also copied to the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security agencies, all of which confirmed receipt of the correspondence.
"The police in the state have ordered Christians to beef up protection at all places of worship, pastors' homes, and other Christian gathering spots in their communities.
For the next three months, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Zamfara State has advised all churches not to hold church events after 5 p.m., according to him.
As things stand, some Christians in Zamfara State are considering relocating to a more secure location.
Source: Sahara reporters
