Muslim extremists in eastern Uganda has murdered a 58-year-old Christian pastor, Stephen Lugwire of Bunangwe estate in the Namutumba District after he refused to shut his church which is situated close to their mosque.
According to Morning Star News, Lugwire was attacked when he was attending to his sheep. His daughter, 23-year-old Brenda was with him that evening when three men adorned in Islamic clothing screamed at them. She said that the men had blunt objects and long knives as they chanted infidel or ‘’kafir’’ to her father.
Brenda said, "As the men drew closer, we have told you to remove the church which is near our mosque, but you have not heeded our message. Today you will face the wrath from Allah. One of the assailants hit my dad with a big stick on the head, and he fell down."
She added as she was running from the area, she saw one of them cutting her father with a knife.
The sad incident was reported to the police and this made the family and the security agencies to go to the place it happened. The body of the pastor had deep cuts in his chest and neck.
Morning Star News reported that the suspects were found when the home of a wealthy Muslim woman named Shamimu who was also arrested.
In her statement after her arrest, Shaminu said to the police, "The servants of Allah entered my house in order to remove the clothes which they were wearing, because they were soaked in blood, and said that they had killed an infidel, hence Allah will reward them as they were following the footsteps of their prophet."
She continued, "The pastor didn't honor Allah by refusing to demolish the church which was close to the mosque, along with his activities of winning their members to Christianity."
Members of Pastor Lugwire’s church revenged his death by destroying the mosque and other facilities around it. This further caused unrest among the residents in the area.
Lugwire has since been buried. He is survived by his wife, a son, and seven daughters.
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