When the Federal University of Kashere (FUK), Gombe State, was established in 2011, many students arrived with optimism hoping to grow academically and spiritually in an environment where religious expression would be accommodated. Fourteen years later, however, Christian students say that hope remains unfulfilled, as the university is yet to provide a designated chapel for worship, despite the presence of multiple mosques across the campus.
For over a decade, Christian students have relied on makeshift arrangements and temporary venues, often facing sudden disruptions, overcrowding, and confusion over worship spaces. The most recent incident involved the unexpected locking of the Multipurpose Sports Complex, a venue they had been using due to the inadequacy of their former worship hall. The closure revived longstanding debates about fairness, planning, and inclusiveness within a federally funded institution.
Christian students said the Multipurpose Complex became their alternative worship venue after the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS) outgrew Lecture Theatre FCLT 1. While the new venue offered more space and ventilation, it was abruptly locked this year, allegedly for renovations, with no prior notice to the fellowship. Photographs of the locked hall circulated online on Monday, triggering outrage and drawing national attention to the issue.
Several users on X reacted strongly. One, @Zerubabel, wrote: “Christian students in Federal University Kashere in Gombe State have been suffering since the inception of the school. There’s no single chapel for Christian students and lecturers, but there are dozens of mosques on campus.” The sentiment reflected a broader frustration that Christian students say has persisted for 14 years.
A visit to the university revealed a significant imbalance in worship infrastructure. No fewer than six mosque structures or designated prayer grounds were observed across campus from the Chancellery area and Gate 3 to the library, medical centre, Postgraduate School, ICT centre, and the Central Mosque near the Union Bank branch. By contrast, no single designated space exists for Christian worship, despite the growing population of Christian students and staff.
FCS leaders said the closure of the Multipurpose Hall disrupted worship plans for that Sunday. According to the Fellowship President, Damter Isaac, the hall remained locked even after repeated efforts to gain access. He explained that campus officers claimed the closure was ordered for renovations ahead of a public lecture, forcing the group to return temporarily to the overcrowded FCLT 1. They agreed to manage the smaller hall while awaiting access to the renovated facility.
Though the immediate issue was resolved administratively, it rekindled deeper concerns stretching back over a decade. The absence of a chapel has led Christian students to rely on fundraising efforts to build one themselves. The fellowship confirmed that a crowdfunding account was opened to support the project, highlighting the perceived neglect and the burden placed on students to provide what they consider an essential facility in a federal university.
As conversations grew online, a peaceful protest planned by an individual student circulated with the caption: “No chapel, no stable space, Christian students deserve better.” However, the FCS executive council quickly distanced itself from the protest, stating that proper procedures were not followed. In a statement signed by Public Relations Officer Iliya Ezekiel, the fellowship urged that all protest-related posts be taken down while assuring members that leadership would continue pursuing the matter through dialogue with authorities.
The university, however, insists that it has fulfilled its obligations. The Public Relations Officer, Janet Ezekiel, said management has provided land for the chapel project and even expanded the allocation when it was deemed too small. She added that a building committee had been established within the Christian Staff Fellowship, noting that the development of worship structures was the responsibility of religious groups, not the university.
Similarly, Dean of Student Affairs, Prof Shuaibu Umaru, dismissed claims of marginalisation, saying the Multipurpose Hall was open to all groups and not exclusive to any religious group. “Is the university meant for Muslims alone?” he asked, arguing that the situation had been exaggerated.
But Christian stakeholders argue that the issue goes beyond land allocation. Pastor Samuel Elebiyo of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who previously served in Kashere, described the situation as part of a broader pattern across northern universities. He claimed that an earlier land allocation for the chapel near the main gate was revoked and moved to a location near a mountain, making development difficult without institutional support.
According to lecturers who spoke anonymously, the issue reflects a test of administrative fairness and campus inclusiveness. They argued that while mosques on campus have benefitted from staff and community support, Christian students have been left in limbo, forced into temporary arrangements for over a decade. The repeated disruptions, sudden lockouts, and unclear timelines for the chapel project have intensified frustration among students.
Fourteen years after FUK’s establishment, Christian students continue to worship in borrowed halls, lecture theatres, and sports complex venues they say lack the stability, safety, and respect owed to a religious community within a federal institution. Despite ongoing crowdfunding efforts and assurances from management, the long-awaited chapel remains a vision yet to materialise.
