In an interview with The Punch, Masa-Udu Abdullahi-Abubakar reflected on the life and legacy of his late father, Abdullahi Abubakar, who served as the Chief Imam of Akwati Mosque in Nghar community, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Responding to a question on how his father rescued over 200 Christians during a violent attack in 2018, Masa-Udu said he was personally present when the incident unfolded. He recalled that unrest suddenly erupted in the community, as armed attackers moved in with the intention of killing Christian residents. The violence occurred in broad daylight, within a short but chaotic window between about 3:30 pm and 3:40 pm.
According to him, preparations were underway for the Asr prayer when they noticed frightened Christian residents fleeing toward their family compound. Gunshots rang out across the village as panic spread, with people desperately trying to escape the area and head toward Yelwa in search of safety.
Seeing their fear, his father immediately intervened by opening the mosque to offer them refuge. He explained that both their house and the mosque were located at the edge of the village, making them a last point of safety for many. While some of the fleeing residents were sheltered inside the mosque, others were concealed within their home, as the Chief Imam worked to protect as many lives as possible during the crisis.
Further talking, he said, “As the attackers approached the mosque, my father and his assistant met them and stopped them. He spoke to them calmly and dissuaded them from attacking the Christian villagers hiding in the mosque and the house. He was practically begging them to stop killing the villagers.”
He also said at that moment, the worshippers had gathered around his father and his assistant, helping to protect the mosque.
He claimed that some of the attackers noticed that there were people sheltering inside the house, but his father quickly moved to block their access, ensuring everyone remained safe, and by God’s grace, the herdsmen eventually withdrew. He alleged once the danger had passed, they cautiously went inside the bush and saw the devastation they had left behind—many lives had been lost in the attack. See_More…