Blasphemy: Don’t Send Children To Sokoto Schools - Northern CAN Urges Christian Parents

According to a report by The PUNCH, the Christian Association of Nigeria, 19 Northern States and Abuja chapter, has directed christian leaders in the country to terminate their participation in the activities of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council, until their counterparts of Islamic faith show commitment to tame their followers on equal terms.

The organisation also called on every christian parents across the country, especially Northern states, to discourage sending their children to any school in Sokoto State.

CAN said the directive to parents would continue, pending when the Federal and State governments would be ready and willing to secure the lives of its children both in Sokoto and other states that had been hostile to Christians and Christianity.

The Public Relations Officer of CAN (19 Northern States and Abuja), Chaplain Jechonia Gilbert, have the directives in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday titled, ‘Deborah Samuel: No cover up, assailants must face judgment.’

The organisation was reacting to the killing of Deborah Samuel by Muslim fundamentalists at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto over alleged blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed.

CAN warned the faith who kill to please their God to exercise restraint because, “those tried it in Egypt and their experiences should be enough warning.”

“There is a Red Sea awaiting them, even those who are secretly encouraging them, must partake in the Red Sea experience”, CAN cursed.

Deborah Samuel, a 200 Level student of Home Economics in the institution was murdered by Islamic extremists and set ablaze after she advised her classmates against posting religious materials in their WhatsApp page.

But Gilbert condemned the killing of Deborah Samuel, describing it as, “gruesome and barbaric.”

He said, “While CAN does not and will not encourage casting aspersions on any Religion or religious leader of any faith, CAN frowns at hiding under the gab of any religious extremism to perpetrate any form of criminality against her members especially in Northern Nigeria. God Almighty is not and can never be a weak God for mere mortals to fight and defend Him. On the contrary, it is He who keeps, watches and defends us. CAN believe that life is sacred and must never be taken by another unless as directed by the State.

“The CAN (19 Northern States and Abuja) is calling on the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Sokoto State government under governor Aminu Tambuwal not to resort to the government usual rhetoric but must demonstrate political will and capacity to bring the perpetrators of this criminality to justice; otherwise, others may take queue from this and turn our father land to a country of lawlessness at every slightest provocation.

“CAN believes that Nigeria is a country governed by the rule of law and order. Therefore, any act of lawlessness and criminality must not be swept under the carpet.

“CAN, 19 Northern States, is calling on every christian parents across the nation especially, Northern states to discourage sending their children to any school in Sokoto State, pending when the Federal and State governments are ready and willing to secure the lives of our children both in Sokoto and other States that are hostile to Christians and Christianity.

“We are urging all christian leaders to terminate their participation in NIREC, until their counterparts of Islamic faith show commitment to tame their followers on equal terms.

“Northern CAN prays for the immediate family and indeed the church of the late Deborah Samuel not to lose hope in God’s ability to avenge the killers of their daughter. We appeal and counsel those who feel and think that killing and oppressing christians is a demonstration of their service to their God to learn from history.

“Those that tried it in Egypt and their experiences should be enough warning. There is a Red Sea awaiting them, even those who are secretly encouraging them, must partake in the Red Sea experience.”