The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His
Eminence, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, has called on all churches
in the country to pray for the freedom of Leah Sharibu from the
captivity of Boko Haram terrorists on Good Friday, 30 March 2018.
The CAN President said prayers for Leah become necessary since
Christians are in a “Passion Week’ when, according to him, Jesus, out
of passion, willingly submitted himself to be nailed to the cross to
pay for the sins of the world, once and for all.
He said in the Week of Passion, Jesus, though sinless, was scourged by
the Roman soldiers, was forced to carry His own the Cross through the
streets of Jerusalem along what is known as the way of sorrows. Jesus
was then crucified at Golgotha on the day before the Sabbath, buried
and remained in the tomb until Sunday, the day after the Sabbath,
after which he gloriously resurrected”
According to the CAN President, Passion Week represented a period when
Jesus Christ truly revealed His passion for mankind through the
sufferings He wwent through their behalf. Christians, he said should
emulate Jesus and what he stood for in Passion Week.
He said, “We should be passionate in our worship of Jesus and in our
proclamation of His Gospel! As He suffered for us, so should we be
willing to suffer for the cause of following Him and proclaiming the
message of His death and resurrection.
“It is against this background that the leadership of CAN is calling
on every Christian nation-wide to stand in the gap for that innocent
girl, Leah Sharib, at 12 noon on Good Friday, asking God to send His
Angels to deliver her from the captivity as He did for Apostle Peter
who was jailed unjustly.
“CAN is also reminding the Federal Government and the security
agencies of the need to free Leah and other captives from captivity of
the Boko Haram terrorists. It is high time our security operatives
lived up to the expectations of the people. They should stop the spate
of abductions of innocent citizens by terrorist as well as killings by
Fulani herdsmen across the country while mounting adequate security
for citizens of the country”
CAN, however, called on all Christians across the country to use the
Passion Week to pray for Nigeria to be free from all forces of
darkness including prayers for those who have lost their relations or
property during the recent terror and herdsmen attacks.
