The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has taken a stand to unite against the killings of Christians in Nigeria, following the unabated killings across the country that have taken a worrisome trend with the recent killing of Rev. Lawan Andimi, the Chairman of CAN, Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The Christian body is talking tough over the killings which have been attributed to the persecution of its members, especially Christians in the Northern part of Nigeria. Therefore, CAN leadership have urged government both at state and federal level to put an end to the killings, saying “enough is enough.”
“The rally is the rally of Jesus Christ against the evils in the land. It’s been so long that the church has been so quiet and the church in Nigeria can no longer be quiet looking at how our brothers are being butchered like animals. This is a country of human beings; not a country of animals, and the church needs to tell our rulers to rise up and do something,” said Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, chairman, CAN, Lagos State while leading some Christians in Lagos on a recent prayer walk held to protest against the killings of Christians in Nigeria.
According to Bamgbola, there was a generation of Nigerians who understood the political trajectory of the country following the amalgamation of the southern and northern protectorate in 1914.
“This country was built to be a nation of peace, a nation of prosperity of God, a nation of greatness; here we are every nation is calling us names, barring our youths from prospering while nations are closing their doors on us because of the evils we are doing in the land.
“Today, the church is making a point across to our rulers as called by the national president of CAN, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, who is the head of the church in this nation and all the fathers in the land are rising up to tell our rulers to rise up and rule this nation for God. Even Muslims rule their nation for their God, and we are calling on all our rulers to stop these killings – they can stop it,” he said.
Speaking further on the security situation in the country, the Lagos CAN chairman said Nigeria used to have one of the best army in the world and have proven its military might to other nations in the past.
“In 1962 to 1965, we saved Congo, we saved South Africa, we saved West Africa through ECOMOG; the armies of this nation were respected around the world, even by US army; so our government has no excuse not to be able to fight the infidels, the locusts devouring the land, that have been giving this nation no peace,” said Bamgbola who opined that Nigeria is in dire need of peace. According to him, “Without peace there can be no progress; there can be no prosperity”.
Bamgbola equally questioned the year-on-year decline in Nigeria’s foreign direct investment (FDI), owing to the level of insecurity and corruption in the country. “Because of the evils of this nation, investors are running away over the last 20 years; they don’t want to invest in Nigeria, a nation of great prospects – why should we have rulers who would not rise up and build this nation for God.
“We have the largest number of youth in any nation on the surface of the earth today, but look at our youth – So, we are calling on the president of this nation to please rise up and defend the land; that is why he was voted in; to defend the people and the property of our people in the nation,” Bamgbola further said.
The Stephanos Foundation’s record shows a total of 1,785 attacks in 32 states of the country between 1980 and 2019. This resulted in the death of not less than 28, 878 innocent people. In 121 Muslim-riots in 19 states, the death of 9, 451 lives were recorded. Also, Boko Haram militant groups were responsible for 701 attacks that claimed 12,812 lives in 15 states. Again, 963 attacks from Fulani Militant groups in 32 states were responsible for 6,615 deaths.
However, in 2014 alone, about 2,484 killings and 108 attacks on churches was recorded while in 2015, the number increased to an estimated 4,028 killings; 198 church attacks which show a gradual increase in religiously motivated killings in Nigeria. But, the recent trends of killings and attacks on places of worship have now moved to targeted attacks on clergymen.
Therefore, looking at it from that point of view, the killings are crimes against humanity and the state, and should be treated as such. There is also an increasing public outcry for justice to be done to the family of the deceased, at least in record time, which prompted the Christian body to call for a 3-day fasting and prayer between 31 January and 2 February, with a prayer walk on the last day. As they say, justice delayed is justice denied.
Baba Aladura Israel Akinadewo, state secretary of CAN, said the new song for the Christian body now is ‘enough is enough’. “If you watch the video of that CAN local government chairman that was slaughtered, there is no way you can say this is a God-fearing country. Also, look at that young Christian that a nine-year old boy was asked to shoot; so, does that mean that when our fathers retire to go and meet God – those are the youth that are supposed to lead the church, and they are slaughtering them,” he queried.
According to him, the church in Lagos is uniting with Christians across the country to demand response from the government over the incessant killings and attacks on the church. “So, the church is saying we have had enough, and we are sending this message to our rulers that every leadership has tenure and we are saying that we will not rest; our prayers will continue fervently until they listen to us and do the needful,” said Akinadewo.
On his part, CAN director of national issues and social welfare, Bishop Stephen Adegbite who represented the president of CAN, Reverend Supo Ayokunle at the rally, said the church in Nigeria is not going to accept the killing of Christians anymore. “As long as they don’t stop it, we are going to be on their neck; …we are saying enough is enough,” he stated.
SEYI JOHN SALAU
