Barely three days after Reverend Father Isaac Archi of the St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Kafin Koro Deanery,was murdered by yet- to- be identified gunmen in Kaffin-koro, Paikoro local government area of Niger State, some angry youths, yesterday morning set the Kafin-koro Police Station ablaze.
Also, the police were said to have shot and killed one of the youths during the protest.
Trouble started, when some Christian women comprising ECWA, and Catholic groups, converged at the premises of the burnt Parish in Kafin Koro to offer prayers against those who carried out the gruesome murder of Achi,and praying for the repose of his death ,when a detachment of police, from Kafin-koro police division, stormed the place to offer protection for the praying congregation.
The congregation, who came from all the villages within Kafin Koro district, were said to have vehemently resisted the voluntary offer of protection from the police who they accused of not doing anything to rescue Achi from the hands of the invading gunmen.
The congregation, therefore ,asked the police to leave in protest, hurling stones and sachet water at them.
It was gathered that the police,however, retreated to their station, but shortly after the prayers by the congregation, they were said to have marched in a peaceful protest through the major road of the town chanting anti police slogan to the police division to register their grievances.
Their anger was the inability of the police to save Achi,from the hands of his murderers despite several distress calls by the deceased and his younger brother, Paul Sikiti.
It was at that point that the police allegedly opened fire,and shot a middle-aged man, who died on the spot. The killing of the man, resulted in the peaceful protest turning into violent one .
In the ensuing violent confrontation with the police, some unidentified people among the protesters, set the police station on fire, burning down the entire building. The protesters were asking the police to leave the town since their presence had no security value in the community.
It was observed that before the gruesome murder of l Achi, Kafin Koro, and its environs, had come under severe attacks by gunmen, leading to the killing of a number of people, while scores were abducted, and ransom collected.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese of Minna, Niger state, has announced the burial arrangements of Achi.
In a statement, by Very Reverend Father Amanchukwu Emeka, Chancellor of the Diocese indicated that Thursday, January 19, has been fixed for the service of songs ( Mass), while Friday has been scheduled for the funeral mass, and interment at the St. Micheal Catholic Cathedral in Minna, the Niger state capital.
