Following violence among congregation as regards leaderships’ positions in Saminaka, Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Governor Nasir El Rufail has ordered the immediate shutdown of two churches, a seminary and a church-owned hospitals and secondary school.

A statement signed by the governor spokesman, Samuel Aruwan named the affected bodies as Theological Seminary of Northern Nigeria, (TSNN), Shalom Comprehensive College, Assemblies of God Church, AGC, Nmbare all in Saminaka. The rest are: Assemblies of God Church (Jerusalem) and AGC Evangelist Hospital, also in Saminaka.

According to the statement in part, : “The Kaduna State Security Council at its 15th meeting, held on the 15th September, 2015, deliberated on the leadership crisis in the Assemblies of God Church, 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 noting that the leadership crisis has led to disintegration of order in the church, and raised tensions between the followers of the rival camps.”

“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, and the 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, the statement stated.

El-Rufai said the shutdown of the bodies was necessary to avoid eruption of violence among fractions of the congregation whose leaderships’ position is principally to preserve their person interests to suit their whims and caprices with little or no concern for the common good of all.