Nigeria has been a tinderbox for a while, of course, with Muslim-Christian conflicts flaring up regularly. More trouble yesterday – several churches burned to the ground, supposedly inspired by a verbal exchange between a Muslim man and a Christian woman.

Among them was the Cathedral and diocesan offices of the Anglican Diocese of Dutse

The Bishop of Dutse (Jigawa State, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Yesufu Lumu, has told ACNS in a telephone interview that a local conflict between a Christian and Muslim woman escalated into a full blown riot on the streets of the city. The end result was St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral was burned to the ground and the Bishop’s office and car port destroyed.

“It was calm during the night,” the bishop said, but was very concerned as the “police would not respond to the calls for protection from the Christians.”
According to one report the anger was said to have been “sparked off by an alleged blasphemous comment on Prophet Muhammed by a Christian woman, who reportedly spoke in reaction to a similarly irreverent statement about Jesus Christ by a male Muslim.”

The Provincial Communications Officer, the Revd Canon AkinTunde Popoola, told ACNS, “All vehicles belonging to the Diocese were also burnt as well as business premises of some church members” during the rioting on 19th September.