A book on the forty years of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, EYN, has been written and launched in Maiduguri.
The 328-page book, written by Elder Joseph Tumba, a foundation member of the church in Maiduguri, was dedicated to all the fifty one Christians slaughtered during the 2006 reprisal attack by fanatics reacting to a cartoon published by a Danish newspaper allegedly portraying prophet Mohammed in an offensive manner.
About fifty six churches were documented by a government committee as burnt down by the assailants who walked the town freely in conjunction with insurgent elements who were equally going about targeting specific people.
The book with thirteen chapters is the second in the series by the author, Sir Tumba, who has been capturing the history of the EYN headquarters church in Maiduguri in the last forty years.
The book launched recently in Maiduguri explains how most of its members lost millions to the Muslim fundamentalists who attacked their homes, businesses and churches roasting many people alive in their hideouts in the 2006 mayhem.
The Church mostly in north eastern Nigeria was actually founded in 1923 by two American Brethren: Stover Kulp and Albert Helser somewhere in Madagali in present Adamawa state but first came to Maiduguri in 1979 with an initial twelve members at the worship center.
Speaking with Metrowatch online, the author, Joseph Tumba, said that he actually came to town as a COCIN member but because there was no branch of that Church in sight, he had to worship in EYN which he and his family had held on to till date.
He said that the presentation could not be done in 2019 due to many reasons but was happy it had finally been documented for Christians and EYN members generally to read about the travails of the church, which were equally burnt down during the 2006 attack over the cartoon punished in Denmark.
Reviewing the book during the event, James Bwalla said that the author dwelled mainly on the history of the EYN LCC maiduguri
The 328-page book, which has been captured under 13 chapters, is also dedicated to the pioneer members of the EYN LCC maiduguri and “those who lost their lives during the attacks on churches in Maiduguri, on Saturday, February 18th, 2006, and those who lost their life and property when the EYN LCC Maiduguri was burnt down by Boko Haram at noon on Monday, 27th July 2009”
A minute silence was observed for those who lost their lives in the crisis.
Most people who died were killed by their neighbors who knew them as Christians.
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