By Michael Ireland
Special Correspondent, ASSIST News ServiceKANO STATE, NIGERIA (ANS) – A church in Nigeria has been threatened with closure if it does not accept an offer of compensation in return for the seizure of its property. If they refuse, they could lose everything. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a HEKAN (Combined Churches of Christ) church in Kano State, Nigeria, has been given an ultimatum to accept N. 800,000 (£3,000 GBP; $5,900 USD) in compensation for the seizure of their premises by local authorities or face losing everything.

A church in Nigeria has been threatened with closure if it does not accept an offer of compensation in return for the seizure of its property. If they refuse, they could lose everything. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a HEKAN (Combined Churches of Christ) church in Kano State, Nigeria, has been given an ultimatum to accept N. 800,000 (£3,000 GBP; $5,900 USD) in compensation for the seizure of their premises by local authorities or face losing everything.CSW, in a report obtained by ANS, says the HEKAN congregation has been forced to meet in the open after their church building in Rogo Local Government Area was destroyed during the religious violence of May 2004. Subsequent efforts to renovate the building were met by intimidation.

The CSW report states: “The church building was previously a beer parlor that was purchased in 2000 and renovated by HEKAN after the church had been told to move from its original premises by the local government. The local authorities had offered compensation for the move; however this money had not been forthcoming.”

CSW says that in January 2006 the church’s pastor was summoned by the district head in the middle of the night, who offered N. 800,000 (£3,000 GBP; $5,900 USD) for the land. The pastor refused and eventually, in November 2006, the local authorities began to construct an Islamic school on the site regardless.

The CSW report adds: “The Church has now been threatened with the possibility of losing everything if they do not accept the money. Church authorities said today that they have been given little option and stated that the building of the Islamic school is now well underway. They added that if they were to turn down the money, then they may be left with nothing.”

The HEKAN church has been one of a number of churches to face either land seizure or building demolition during violence in the Shari’ah states of central and northern Nigeria over the past few years.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s (CSW) Advocacy Director, Tina Lambert, says: “It is unacceptable that Christians in Kano State are being treated as second-class citizens in respect of their right to ownership of land and property. This is a clear violation of the country’s federal constitution, which stipulates the right of any Nigerian to own land in any part of the country. We call upon the Federal government to uphold this constitutional provision and we urge the governing authorities of Kano to ensure a just settlement to this unfortunate incident.”

CSW is a human rights organization which specializes in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

For more information, please contact Penny Hollings, Campaigns and Media Manager at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0) 20 8329 0045, email pennyhollings@csw.org.uk   or visit www.csw.org.uk.