ISUA Kiforo, the unfortunate victim felled by soldiers’ bullets in a shootout between the soldiers and terrorists at the Kaduna State Government House last week died on Sunday, despite best efforts to save his life.
Kiforo, a pastor at a local church who doubled as the Kaduna State Director of Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Information died at about 11am local time while recuperating at the 44 Military Reference Hospital in Kaduna.
He had earlier undertaken an operation at the hospital where several bullets were said to have been removed from his legs and lower abdomen.
Confirming the news of his death, the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Saidu Adamu, said that Kiforo “died at about 11.00 a.m., this morning.”
The news of Kiforo’s death was also broken at the Living Faith Church, Kakuri and Barnawa, where the late pastor served.
But some Pastors of the Living Faith Church, Kaduna, who were associates of the late Kiforo, have expressed doubts if he actually disobeyed an order to stop for a security check.
Besides, the Narayi residence of the deceased pastor was full of sympathisers who condoled with the family. .
A pastor at the Living Faith Church, Mr. Samson Fagbemi, said that it was unfortunate that Kiforo could not live to give his own version of how the security at the Government House opened fire on him.
Fagbemi said: “He was the one who introduced the Hausa service in the church. He was well-known among the entire pastorate and he loved God. His death is unfortunate. One cannot say it was an act of God because God is not the author of confusion. I have known him since the late 80s and we had always been together as a brother, a deacon and as a pastor.”
He added: “We have listened to the government version about the circumstances leading to the unfortunate shooting incident at the Government House. But we could not get his own version of the story, which is unfortunate. We had hoped he would come out and tell us what really happened, but we could not get his version. .
“By virtue of our training, we should have looked at both sides to the issue. I am yet to believe that a pastor would be asked to stop and he refused to stop. We are left with the official version of the incident and we just keep our fingers crossed and look up to God.’’
Sources at the family residence said that Kiforo who hailed from Zangon-Kataf area of South Kaduna would be buried on Thursday.
The commissioner for information said: “Presently, it is the security that is handling the investigation on the shooting that was carried out by the security agents at the Government House. And for now, we don’t know their findings.
“For now, nobody has the right to say anything on it except the Police. I had been working with Pastor Kiforo. He met me in the ministry, and he was a very nice person, very God-fearing. I am really shocked about what happened to him. I was hoping he would survive it. You know when your time is up, nobody can question the decision of God.
“He was a very nice person. It was just unfortunate he had to die this way. This is the way God has destined that he would die. The investigation is still going on, and there is no way government can come into it, it is the security that is handling it. There is no way government will investigate crimes, allegations or whatever you may call it, including allegation on the breach of security.”
Adamu said further: “It is the security agency that would handle it and come out with the findings. But, we could not ask for any statement knowing fully that he was in the hospital, and we were waiting for him to get well and all of a sudden we were told he died this morning.
“Right now, I don’t know what the police would say about their findings. It is not government that mounts security at the Government House, and I am sure it is not governments that are manning gates anywhere in the world. It is security agencies that provide the personnel and that is based on their constitutional responsibilities.”
Adamu said that under the prevailing security in the country, Nigerians should learn to co-operate with armed soldiers and police on assignment, saying: “I think it is a question of whosoever is entering into Government House or anywhere. There are security guards, one should take appropriate permission and listen to their command.”