COUNTING THE LOSES: LCCN REFLECTIONS FROM THE BOKO-HARAM EXPERIENCE
COUNTING THE LOSES: LCCN REFLECTIONS
FROM THE BOKO-HARAM EXPERIENCE
As
was written by Elle Paris counting loses is a clause that “originates from war
time when the living and the dead and other losses were counted, as well as
bridges, strategic positions, horses, tanks ...lost or not, had to be accounted
for so as to evaluate how things stand and decide what measures to take. After
any catastrophe it is what must be done.” The Lutheran Church of Christ in
Nigeria (LCCN) the largest Christian denomination in the north-eastern Nigeria
has to go to the field and compile what can be gotten to keep our records
straight and also to share with other believers who will be praying for the church
in Nigeria.
The
most hit area of the LCCN is the Arewa Diocese followed by its neighboring
Shall-Holma Diocese. At the peak of the activities of the Boko Haram insurgency
in 2014 and early 2015 over 22 communities where LCCN is the major denomination
was attacked. In the attacks many lives were lost and properties worth millions
of Naira were destroyed. Some of these communities were overran and taken over
by the insurgency for over period three months until the Nigerian army
recaptured the territories. One of them is Mubi the second largest town in
Adamawa state. LCCN churches in Mubi were all affected and the people
displaced.
As
a follow up on the attacks the following was compiled in Arewa Diocese alone.
|
S/N
|
COMMUNITY
|
LIVES KILLED
|
KIDNAPED CHILDREN
|
HOUSES DESTROYED
|
MOTOR CYCLES
|
CARS
|
LCCN CHURCHES
|
OTHER CHURCHES
|
|
A.
|
YADUL DISTRICT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
Zah
|
26
|
1
|
232
|
82
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
|
2.
|
Mubang
|
6
|
|
54
|
16
|
|
1
|
2
|
|
3.
|
Kiging
|
1
|
|
41
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
3.
|
Dabna
|
12
|
|
65
|
33
|
|
1
|
2
|
|
4.
|
Washim
|
1
|
|
27
|
6
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
B.
|
DUTSE DISTRICT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.
|
Lar
|
2
|
|
67
|
4
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
7.
|
Kwapre
|
9
|
|
72
|
21
|
|
1
|
2
|
|
8.
|
Banga
|
4
|
|
43
|
2
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
C.
|
GARAHA DISTRICT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
Garaha
|
25
|
6
|
254
|
18
|
|
1
|
|
|
10
|
Yau
|
1
|
|
Entire community
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
Blamare
|
2
|
|
15
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
D.
|
HONG DISTRICT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
Hong
|
4
|
|
18
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
E.
|
FACHI DISTRICT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
Wuro bokki
|
6
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
f.
|
GEREWOL DISTRIC
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
Gerewol
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
15
|
Marraba
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
G
|
KUVA GAYA DIST.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16
|
Fa’a Gayya
|
33
|
|
97
|
30
|
6
|
1
|
|
|
17
|
Gartsanu
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
Dlang
|
4
|
|
38
|
5
|
3
|
|
|
|
h.
|
SHAGUI DISTRICT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19
|
Hong gari
|
1
|
|
14
|
3
|
1
|
|
|
|
I
|
KLING DISTRICT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20
|
Dilwachira
|
4
|
|
2
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
J
|
KWAKWA’AH DISTRICT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21
|
Kwakwa’ah
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22
|
Gagni
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K
|
KALA’A DISTRICT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23
|
Makera
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
156
|
7
|
1,042
|
224
|
12
|
13+5
|
11
|
In
Shall-Homa Diocese, the Cathedral in Gombi was destroyed along with the Nursery
and Primary School in the church vicinity; some churches were burnt in Mubi. A
pastor was killed at Ga’anda District by name Rev Alexander. In Gombi one youth
a member of LCCN was killed. The total of seventeen churches was destroyed in
Shall-Holma Diocese. They are as follows:
1.
LCCN Cathedral
Gombi
2.
LCCN Fotta 1
3.
LCCN Fotta 2
4.
LCCN Dingai
5.
LCCN Wuro heso
6.
LCCN Kamsu
7.
LCCN Galga
8.
LCCN Pakka
9.
LCCN Humbutudi
10. LCCN Tudun Wada 5
11. LCCNKorya
12. LCCN Police Barracks Moyo-guli
13. lCCN Michika
14. LCCN Madagali
15. LCCN Mubi
16. LCCN Jalingo 3 (Mubi)
17. LCCN Shuware 4 (Mubi)
Everything
in the churches was destroyed, now these churches are working on reconstructing
their places of worships. They are using make shift tents for Sunday worship
pending the time they can reconstruct their churches.
CONCLUSION
But
whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the
sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss
in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may
gain Christ… (Phil.3:7,8)
