By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
The young man once linked to an alleged attempt to bomb the Living Faith Church, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna, Nathaniel Samuel, has been laid to rest in Kaduna, with fresh clarifications from his Father Mr Samuel Ezekiel and the Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Joesph John Hayab clarifying that the item found on him in 2020 was fireworks and not an explosive device as was wrongly published by many Media.
The Force headquarters Abuja, released Nathaniel to his parents a few months after the incident after exhaustive investigation.
Speaking at the burial on Wednesday in Kaduna, the Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, said the long-standing misinformation surrounding Nathaniel’s case had unfairly tarnished his reputation, despite security investigations which later established that he was not in possession of a bomb.
Rev. Hayab told journalists that anyone still in doubt can visit the Kaduna State Police Command or the Force Headquarters in Abuja to verify the findings, stressing that the burial created an opportunity to finally correct the distorted narrative that trailed Nathaniel for years.
He explained that the confusion over Nathaniel’s identity and the initial suspicion in 2020 generated unnecessary tension in the state.
According to him, a thorough investigation by the police later revealed that Nathaniel had no links to terrorism and was merely carrying fireworks; a source of livelihood he commonly used for wedding celebrations.
Representatives of Living Faith Church Mahuta, Kaduna attended the burial. Members of Living Faith Church Gonin Gora, where Nathaniel served in the technical department, were also present to honour him.
Rev. Hayab called on Nigerians to avoid hasty conclusions in sensitive security matters, emphasised the need for responsible reporting, proper background checks and balanced investigations to prevent innocent individuals from being wrongfully profiled.
He urged the public to draw lessons from Nathaniel’s experience, noting that misinformation can destroy lives and undermine communal trust.