THE spectre of religious crisis ravaging some parts of the country yesterday, swept through the ancient town of Osogbo, claiming at least two lives.
Twenty churches were also vandalised in the incident.
Suspected Muslim youths had gone on the rampage at about midnight Wednesday to protest a planned crusade by the German Evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke.
The Bonnke crusade entitled, "The Great Millennium Gospel Crusade and Fire Conference," was scheduled to commence next Wednesday to last five days.
Killed in the four-hour protest were one Sunday Aransi and a guitarist with ECWA Church, Fakunle area in Osogbo.
The circumstances of their death were not immediately clear at press time.
Some of the churches vandalised by the rampaging fundamentalists include:
*Christ Life Church
*Jesus Life Church
*Church of the Lord (Aladura)
*All Saints Cathedral
*CAC, Gbomi area
*Christ African Church
*Church of the Lord (Isale-Ijebu)
*Living Faith
*Three Cherubim and Seraphim churches
The youths were said to have stormed All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Isale-Aro but the clergy and his family managed to escape. It was gathered that some of the youths had gathered at Egba-Tedo area of the town at about 10.00 p.m. on Wednesday for the daily Ramadan sermon called Tafsir.
Witnesses said at about 12 midnight when a Muslim preacher (name withheld) mounted the dais, he instructed his audience to go to town to carry out certain action. It was further learnt that more Muslim youths joined the party as they were carrying out the destruction and vandalisation from one church to the other.
The preacher who was alleged to have provoked the protest has been invented by the state police command and he is now helping them in their investigations.
A security of agent who pleaded anonymity alleged that the youths were supported by members of Tobliq, an Islamic group who were mobilised from a neighbouring state for the purpose.
Gov. Bisi Akande who returned from Abuja, yesterday on receiving the information about the incident visited all the vandalised churches in company of the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu.
Conducting the governor round the premises of All Saints Cathedral, the Chaplain of the Church, Rev. Igbeda Odunayo whose two cars with registration numbers OSUN AE 375 LES and AA 191 PMD parked in front of the church were badly damage, said the rioters were about 1,000.
Speaking with journalists after the visit, Gov. Akande condemned the action of the protesters and gave an assurance that anyone linked with the riots would not be spared.
He alleged that the protest was sponsored from outside the state with a view to destabilising President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration.
"I believe it was sponsored from outside Osun State. It had never happened in the West before. I am happy that the Christians did not fight back, because that was their alleged sponsors' original plan," he said.
Chief Akande recalled that he had asked Christian leaders and members of the League of Imams during his meeting with them last Monday to "please pray for peace both in Osun State and Nigeria as a whole because some people are out to discredit the government of Obasanjo and that I don't want the people of the South-West to be dragged into this."
In his own reaction, Chairman, Media Committee on Bonnke's Visit, Pastor Seun Adeoye said it was unfortunate that some people could descend so low to destroy churches unprovoked.
"We are happy that the Muslim community is not supporting the action. The Ataoja of Osogbo has also visited the damaged churches and condemned the destruction."
"The crusade will continue. We have met all the religious leaders, Commissioner of Police, AIG and we have been given assurance that there would not be any problem," Pastor Adeoye added.