Uneasy calm pervaded the atmosphere at most of the Easter Sunday services across Katsina State as unprecedented number of soldiers and policemen watched over churches while the Easter celebrations lasted.
Contrary to the earlier unperturbed posture of the Nigeria Police to the warnings issued last Thursday by both United Kingdom and United States governments over possible terrorist attack during the Easter season, the Nigerian security forces however stepped up high-level security surveillance three days preceeding Easter to forestall any attack.
LEADERSHIP checks revealed that, worshippers who trooped out en masse across the state, were shocked to see unprecedented presence of security men around their worship places on arrival for the Easter Sunday service. In Katsina city, which is the state capital, a worshipper who simply identified herself as Miss Yemi, told LEADERSHIP on phone that the presence of security personnel everywhere has scared the joy of the season out of them. Yemi said: “My brother, I am just coming out of the church, and I am rushing home because of the fear of the unknown.”
At the First Baptist Church Funtua, Katsina South senatorial district, which had lined up a lot of activities for the day, the presiding pastor, Reverend Bolaji Owoade, hurriedly brought the day’s service to a halt, when news filtered in that, a suicide bomber has launched an attack close to a church at the popular Sardauna Crescent in the heart of Kaduna, about 150 kilometres from Funtua town.
Also in Daura, the headquarters of the Katsina North senatorial district, the situation is not different as a joint patrol of military and police was visibly noticed everywhere.