The Christian Association of Nigeria in the north has summoned an emergency meeting over Monday’s killings of eight persons in Talata-Mafara community in Zamfara State and the death of a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Luka Ubangari, by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Unguwan Anjo, Kaduna State.
The meeting is being called as an islamic organisation, Nasrul-Lahi-il Fathi, also condemned the killings.
The Northern CAN, in an interview with journalists, said it summoned the emergency meeting to discuss the incidents and the failure of government to bring the perpetrators to book. The meeting is expected to hold in Maiduguri on August 26.
Eight people were killed on Monday, when a mob set the house of a man ablaze for rescuing an undergraduate, who was accused of blasphemy. Also on Monday, gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen killed three persons, including Ubangari, at Unguwan Anjo in the Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
CAN said the failure of the government to punish the perpetrators would mean collaboration between government agencies and Islamic extremists.
The Borno State Chairman of CAN and spokesperson for the 19 northern states’ CAN chairmen, Bishop Abubakar Naga, stated this on Tuesday.
He said Christians would resist any plan to Islamise the country under any guise.
He said, “Islamisation of Nigeria is not possible. Christians will never allow that, Nigeria is a secular country and no religion will dominate others.
“Christians have become targets of attacks. So, we are having an emergency meeting in Maiduguri on August 26.
“The government must take action and if it does not take any action, it means there is collaboration between the government and the perpetrators of the killings.”
No place for violence –Buhari
However, on his Twitter handle on Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the violence.
He stated, “I received news of the mob killings in Zamfara with great dismay. It is barbaric and unacceptable. I assure Nigerians that the law will take its course. Under my watch, we will work to ensure that there is no place for violence in the name of religion, ethnicity, or in any guise whatsoever.”
Blasphemy not unlawful, says NASFAT
Also, the Chief Missioner, Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society, Alhaji Abdullahi Akinbode, described the Zamfara killing as a crime against God and humanity, and called for a proper investigation into the incident.
Aknibode told newsmen on the telephone on Tuesday that blasphemy was not a crime in Nigeria, being a secular state. He added that the perpetrators of the act should be brought to justice.
He said, “I have not been fully briefed about the incident. But whatever the case may be, life is sacred. God has not given anybody the right to take life, except the authority and the authority is the government of a nation if one has committed a crime that carries the death penalty.
“No religion preaches that life should be taken except there is war. But there is no war and there can never be war. The stand of NASFAT is that life is sacred. The culprits should be apprehended and be made to face justice.
“Nigeria is a multi-religious country. You can only talk of blasphemy where there is one religion. A blasphemy case will only be established in jurisprudence if the state makes a rule that the state shall be a state of one religion. Blasphemy is not unlawful in Nigeria because it is a multi-religious state.”
The President, Campaign for Democracy, Abdul Usman, also condemned the Zamfara killings.
He said, “Those who fight the cause of religion should understand that Almighty God says in many chapters and verses in His holy book that He will protect His religion.
“In the days of the holy prophet, he was cursed right to his face without any reaction from him. Rather, he continued to preach peace.
“Today, ignorance has bedevilled the religion. The government should investigate the act and the perpetrators be brought to book. No religion preaches violence.”
On his part, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said it was a shame that people were getting lynched for blasphemy that is unknown to the laws of Nigeria.
He said, “Are these barbarians saying their God is not powerful enough to handle those who disrespect him.? The full weight of the law should be brought to bear on these murderers to end this nonsense.”
