The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned in strong terms the gruesome murder of a Christian, 200 Level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Deborah Samuel by some extremist fellow students on alleged blasphemy.
According to CAN’s General Secretary, Joseph Bade Daramola, Esq, the unlawful and dastardly action of the perpetrators must not only be condemned by all right-thinking people, but the security operatives must fish them out, and prosecute them.
Daramola further said: “It is the failure of the security agencies and the government to rise to such criminalities in the past that gave birth to terrorists and bandits. And if the State fails to bring these beasts and criminals amidst us to book, so also the society will continue to be their killing fields. We acknowledge the swift reaction of His Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar 111 who not only condemned the criminal and religious intolerant action but called on the security agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice. It is our expectation that the State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, would ensure that the matter is not swept under the carpet, as it was before.”
CAN also call on all teachers and preachers of religious intolerance, extremism, and terrorism to repent before the wrath of God descended on them.
Daramola recalled the provocative and demeaning advertisement of the Sterling Bank where the bank compared the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to “Agege bread,” and up till now, nobody was attacked and even the CAN leadership had accepted the apology tendered by its Chief Executive, Abubakar Suleiman.
“Killing for any God in the name of blasphemy is ungodly, satanic, foolish, reprehensible, and totally unacceptable. This is not a Stone Age and Nigeria is not the Banana Republic. Nigeria remains a non-religious State where no religion is supreme to the other. We acknowledge and commend the restraint of the Christian students at the College who refused to embrace self-help and reprisal against those who murdered their colleagues. It is our prayer that those vampires in religious garments will not push the country to a religious war. This is why both the government, and the security agencies must stop treating them with kid gloves. Enough is enough. CAN commiserates with the family of Deborah and other bereaved.”
