The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reacted to recent killing of Christians in the north
CAN says the Federal Government (FG) is not doing enough to protect Christians within the region
The National Christian Elders forum (NCEF) has reacted to a statement by the Sultan of Sokoto
NCEF claims that Muslim leaders are plotting to turn Nigeria into an Islamic State
Following recent killings of Christians within the northern region of Nigeria, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said that the Federal Government of Nigeria is not doing enough to protect Christians within the region.
CAN decried the recurring and unabated spate of the killings of Christians in the Northern part of the country on account of alleged blasphemy, stressing that such killings have become too many and requires urgent attention.
Recently, about eight persons were killed on Monday in Talata-Mafara community in Zamfara state following violence that erupted over alleged blasphemy by a student of the Abdu Gusau Polytechnic, Talata-Mafara.
The student was alleged to have made a blasphemous statement against Islam and Prophet Muhammad and was consequently attacked by a mob.
But the Chairman, Northwest Zone of CAN, Bishop David Bakare, while addressing newsmen in Kaduna yesterday, said, “It has become necessary to make this statement in the face of the incessant unwarranted killing of Christians in Northern Nigeria.
“Northern Nigeria in recent time has become killing fields where Christians are murdered without restraints and governments at all levels are doing about it.
“In Kano, a Deeper Life church pastor’s wife was accused of blasphemy and killed, only for everyone to hear later that she never uttered any word of blasphemy against Islam or Mohammed.
“During Ramadan, a young man was attacked by Moslems and severely wounded in Kaduna because he was found eating during fasting.
“There is the well publicized hacking to death of a Redeemed pastor’s wife in Kubwa, FCT. And then the ECWA pastor who was murdered in Nasarawa State.
“Just last Friday, a Redeemed pastor was shot in his farm by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Kafanchan, Kaduna State. Few days ago in Zamfara State, a boy was accused of blasphemy and attacked. The incident led to the killing and burning of eight Christians in the state.
“Early this year, the Zamfara state government pulled down several Christian places of worship including an Anglican auditorium, a Catholic building and an NYSC Secretariat chapel among others.
“Beyond government rhetoric, nothing concrete has been done to stem the tide. These heinous crimes continue unabated. No arrest has been made, no one has been prosecuted. This inaction on the part of government leads one to say that governments at all levels have abdicated their responsibilities of securing lives, especially lives of Christians in Northern Nigeria.
“On behalf of Christians and the CAN president, we call on the federal and state governments to rise to the occasion and ensure that this Zamfara incident is not treated as the other ones. Arrests must be made, the perpetrators must be made to face the full weight of the law so that justice will be seen to have been done. If these are done, then shall all Christians in Northern Nigeria have confidence that they are secured here,” he stressed.
In the same vein, the National Christian Elders forum (NCEF) has reacted to comments by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, that Nigeria is a multi-religious nation, saying the claim was against constitutional provisions.
Sultan of Sokoto says Nigeria cannot be Islamized
Premium Times reports that the NCEF also said Muslim leaders had in past and present times made deliberate steps towards Islamising Nigeria.
Mr Abubakar had said that Nigeria was not a secular nation, but multi-religious entity that cannot be Islamised.
“We are not secular but a multi-religious state because the people are so religious. We must respect one another and understand the tenets of the two religions,” he had said.
In a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday, August 24, the NCEF chairman, Solomon Asemota, said Nigeria’s constitution provides that the country is a secular state.
The statement said Mr. Abubakar’s comments appeared to imply that Nigeria was made up of two religions “until Islam dominates to become de facto and de jure religion of Nigeria”.
“The Constitution which forms the basis, upon which our founding fathers agreed to live together as a country, provides under Section 10 that ‘the Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion’,” the group said.
“Nigeria has multi-cultural and multi-religious communities, tribes, ethnic nationalities but one nation. It is correctly assumed that in the interest of peace and justice, the Constitution in Section 10 PROHIBITS the State from Religious participation by way of recognizing one and two religions.
“The Sultan’s interpretation, we submit, is intended to justify Islam and Christianity as State religions until Islam dominates to become de facto and de jure religion of Nigeria,” the statement said.
The statement defined secular as referring to things “not connected with spiritual or religious matters”.
The NCEF said Muslim leaders had in past and present times made deliberate steps towards Islamising Nigeria.
“We respectfully disagree with the Sultan ‘that it is not possible to Islamize Nigeria. By taking Nigeria into the OIC in 1986, Military Dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, officially turned Nigeria into an Islamic State.
“The Charter of OIC concerning membership stipulates that a country should, first and foremost, be persuaded that it is an Islamic nation before it can apply for membership. Simply by the act of the application for OIC membership, Babangida tampered with the secularity of the Nigerian State. That unilateral decision should be reviewed because it violates Section 10 of the Constitution,” said Mr Asemota.
The NCEF used the statement to condemn the arrest of Joe Chinakwe for naming his dog “Buhari”, describing the act as another attempt to instill fear in the minds ordinary Nigerians.
“Chinakwe was picked up again based on Police belief that the suspect’s action was capable of provoking an ethno-religious crisis. Because the complainant and his group have threatened to kill him if he comes back and this may happen.
“If Nigeria is being run as a secular State, the Constitution in Sections 10, 37, and 38 guarantees right of private and family life, freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion that should protect Joe Chinakwe and the Complainant would have been arrested but because Nigeria is an Islamic State, Joe Chinakwe has to face trial in the process promoting; the most effective way to get rid of critics is to instill fear in ordinary Nigerians,” the statement said.
The NCEF said it was “apprehensive” about the composition of those in the security and intelligence committee, set up by President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as those who currently head the leadership of schools in Nigeria.
“It is as a result of the understanding (or lack of it) of Civilized Jihad that we are apprehensive of those in the “Security and Intelligence Committee” of the Federal Government by some unexplained reasons are mainly Muslims. President Buhari, (Muslim), Chief of Defense (Christian), Chief of Army Staff, Chief of air Staff, Minister of Defense, Minister of Internal Affairs, Inspector General of Police, National Security Adviser, Director General of DSS are all Muslims from the North. We are not too sure whether the Vice President is a member of this Committee following information that he was once excluded from the meeting the President called.
“Some of us Christians, are uncomfortable that the Heads of National Universities Commission (NUC), Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), and National Teachers Institute (NTI) are all Muslims.”
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