The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the family of the slain pastor of Abundant Life Full Gospel Church at Gauraka, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State at the weekend called on the police to arrest the pastor's killers without delay.

They said if the police at Gauraka had acted swiftly, when Apostle Israel Okhuonya was attacked on June 14, 2009, most of the pastor's killers would have been apprehended.

Chairman of CAN, Tafa Local Government Area, Reverend Andrew Uper wondered how over 30 assailants of the pastor escaped from the community without the police arresting one.

He said CAN and the family of the deceased have written a petition to the Assistant Inspector-General of Zone 7 and are optimistic that proper action will be taken.

While narrating how the senior pastor was killed, Reverend Uper said he learnt from one of the principal witness, Imadegwir Musa (who is a member of the late pastor's Church) that Musa had a minor disagreement with one Umar Tanko Maikaji.

"Musa spread his clothes on a rope that Umar tied in their compound and when the rope cut, Umar requested for payment despite Musa's plea, which resorted to the former reporting the incident to the police due to threats," the CAN official said.

He said the police did not arrest Umar, adding that on June 14, Umar rose up again to insist for the payment of the rope with his gang, who later beat-up Musa and dragged him to the Gauraka Police Station, where he was promptly detained by the police despite the earlier report made by the victim.

"While in detention, Musa sent a message to his pastor, who went to the police station to inquire why he was being detained and the police replied that he was in protective custody of which the pastor negotiated for his release and was asked to bring him back on June 15," the CAN chairman stated.

He said when Musa got back home, Umar organised more boys, which made Musa flee to the pastor's house.

"The pastor on seeing Musa asked him to follow him to the district head's palace to intimate him of the problem in order to seek peaceful resolution, but unknown to the pastor, Umar with his gang that held dangerous weapons, were already on their way to the pastor and they met him on the road.

Musa revealed that Umar hit the pastor on his head with an axe while another member of the gang used the axe on his stomach, after which members of the gang went to the pastor's residence to vandalise his car and set the apartment ablaze," the CAN official said.

He stated further that efforts were made to save the pastor's life after the attack, as he was taken to several hospitals before Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, where he died on June 16 as a result of the injuries sustained.

According to him, after the incident happened on Sunday night, the culprits where seen parading the town till Tuesday, when they heard of the pastor's death and went underground.

He described Umar Tanko Maikaji as a notorious religious zealot that participated in the mayhem at Jos and also vandalised the New Covenant Family Church as well as Sabbath Church on February 11, 2009 at Angwar Barsu.

Also speaking of the incident, the late pastor's wife, Mrs Edith Okhuonya said when her husband rushed into their bedroom to pick his shirt, she did not know he was going out of the house and never had the premonition that he will die.

She described how the assailants threw a burning wood into their apartment that night and also used clubs to vandalise the pastor's car.

According to her, policemen from FCT Command have promised to do something, while the corpse of her late husband is still in the mortuary and will be taken home for burial at Okpilla in Edo State on Friday with a wake keeping ceremony at Gauraka on Thursday.

When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer of Gauraka, Mr Audu invited the reporter to his office to see the achievements recorded by the police in the case.