Rev. Dr. Shuaibu Byal, former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), North-East and the Rector, ECWA Theological College, Bayara, Bauchi state is dead.
He died on Friday evening at the age of 63.
Byal, a retired Pastor with the Evangelical Churches Winning All (ECWA), was said to have slumped due to cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.
CAN Chairman, Bauchi State, Rev. Abraham Damina who confirming the death in an interview on Saturday, described the death of Byal as “shocking” and a great loss not only to CAN but to the Christendom and the nation at large.
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“Somebody called to tell me last night that Rev. Byal was gone. I had to call someone to verify if it was true and it confirmed to me that it was true.
“He told me that he returned from Toro (town, Toro LGA of Bauchi State) and then he slumped and that was all. It was really a piece of shocking news to all of us. It is unfortunate that we lost that elder statesman,” he said.
Damina described the deceased, a one-time Executive Chairman, Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Bauchi State, as someone who was humble and gentle.
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“I knew him even before he became the North-East CAN Chairman. He was a very humble man, he was outspoken, and he was a very nice man. I knew him one-on-one.
“In fact, we (CAN) have tried to have a meeting with him before this happened. We were together about three weeks ago and we had a great time together. He was really a very nice man”, he said.
The CAN Chairman said the Christian community will feel the demise of theologian, articulary, “the School where he was the head, the Theological Institute, will miss him, his children, even Bauchi State and beyond will miss him because he was a well-known person.”
