Kaduna state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has raised an alarm of fundamentalist now using blasphemy as an excuse to kill Christians in the Northern region of the country.
Reacting to the riot in Bauchi state over alleged blasphemy, the state CAN Chairman Rev. John Joseph Hayab said Christians now know and have evidence of how some of these ”allegations of blasphemy are false and just for blackmail or settling scores with passive enemies or well-mannered young girls who have refused sexual advances by the opposite sex from another religion.”
He said;
“Allegations of blasphemy have now become the new excuse by fundamentalists in Northern Nigeria to kill the remnant that bandits and Terrorists have not yet killed.
“How can you justify the period of what happened in Sokoto, the allegation in Borno, the fake allegation on Babachir Lawal by one northern actor who we have on record how he made blasphemous remarks about Jesus Christ but quickly went and brought it down on the internet to cover himself before coming out to falsely accused Babachir Lawal the former SGF and today we are seeing another carnage in Bauchi under the excuse of blasphemy.
“We are also aware of how fanatics have in the past raised lies in the name of blasphemy.”
Hayab further asked if the recent sermons they are getting from some Islamic clerics on what the Holy Quran says about what should be done if anyone is accused of blasphemy is unpopular amongst followers, adding that the challenge now is for Government authorities and security agencies to act fast to address this abuse of the constitution before it leads to a more serious conflict that can not be handled.
The CAN Chairman who also stated that Nigeria Christians especially those of Northern extraction have for ages exhibited tolerance despite many provocations and lack of reciprocation of their love and friendship, averred that the new tactics of killing people over blasphemy is unacceptable to CAN and all Christian faithful.
He called on government and security agencies to enforce the law on every murderer hiding under religion as they “will not accept this brutal way of murder and inhuman treatment of our followers to continue.”
Rev. Hayab appealed to Christian leaders and parents to guide their children to resist any ungodly provocation that would make them says things that bloodthirsty fundamentalist can easily use to kill them.
He also appealed to religious leaders from both religious divides to intensify teachings about the evil of taking the laws into one hand and killing another person for whatever reason.
The CAN Chairman concluded by saying that alleged offenders should be reported to security agencies or taken to any competent court of law for judiciary pronouncement as “Nigeria is not a banana republic but a nation we believe should be governed by the rule of law.”
