Seminary Attack: If There’s Grass Inside The Church, Our Cows Will Graze There, Herdsmen Brag

Reverend Father Emmanuel Atsue of the Diocesan Sacred Heart Minor Seminary in Jalingo, Taraba state, has narrated how herdsmen attacked the seminary in the wee hours of Monday.

This was contained in a statement he signed with the permission of Bishop, Most Rev. Charles Hammawa of Jalingo Diocese.

Fr. Atsue, in the statement, said the herdsmen stormed the seminary heavily “sophisticated”, adding that they shot sporadically at his residence, breaking window glasses and vehicle windscreen.

According to him, the herdsmen shot and injured one of the priests’ Rev. Fr. Cornelius Kobah on the leg and beat up another priest, Fr. Stephen Bakari.

He said the action of the herdsmen followed grievances against security men in the Seminary for challenging their decision to graze right inside the Seminary.

He revealed that the herdsmen stated that their cows will graze if there is grass even inside the church.

The Rector, however, noted that all its students are complete, adding that two of them who were showing the herdsmen the way to the Father’s house suffered injuries from the sticks of the herdsmen.

Read the full statement below:

“With permission from my Bishop, Most Rev. Charles Hammawa of Jalingo Diocese, I Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Atsue (the Rector) want to announce and inform Nigerians and the international community that our diocesan Sacred Heart Minor Seminary was attacked in the early hours of this morning 28/05/2018 at about 12:30am by sophisticated armed Fulani Herdsmen (at least we heard their conversation).

“They shot sporadically at the Rector’s residence, broke window glasses in the process, (litered live bullets were collected by police) windscreen of one of the vehicles belonging to one of the priests, they shot and injured one of the priests Rev. Fr. Cornelius kobah on the leg, beat up Fr. Stephen Bakari.

“From their conversation we were able to understand that their grievances against us is that the security men in the Seminary have been challenging their decision to graze right inside the Seminary: around the classes, football field, laundry etc.

“They said even inside the church if they see grass their cows will graze.

“Normalcy has temporarily been restored, thanks to the prompt response from the Nigerian Police, Army, Civil Defense and local vigilantee.

“All our students are complete, none is missing. Two of them who were showing them the way to the Father’s house suffered injuries from the sticks of the herdsmen.

“I had a meeting with the officials of the Parents Teachers Association PTA and the bishop has equally approved one week break for the seminarians to enable them manage trauma for a while and to show themselves to their parents that they were safe. For now this is the situation. Let us continue to pray for and work for peace in Nigeria. “