The Chairman of the North West Zone of the Christian Association (CAN), Bishop David Bakare has accused the Federal Government of not taking concrete steps to stem the tide of violent attack on Christians in the north.
Meanwhile, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has condemned both the alleged blasphemy that occurred in Talatan Mafara town in Zamfara State and the killing of eight people that followed.
JNI, which made this known in a statement, signed by its Secretary- General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu and made available to newsmen yesterday, said that there were some people who were bent on causing crisis in the country, using blasphemy as a cover.
Addressing a news conference in Kaduna yesterday, Bakare said the killings of Christians in the north in the name of religion was unacceptable, stressing that government had a duty to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The Bishop, who condemned the recent killing of eight Christians in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State, for alleged blasphemy, warned that government must go beyond the usual rhetoric of condemnation.
According to him, Northern Nigeria has become a killing field in recent times, where Christians were murdered without restraint and governments at all levels were doing nothing about it. “This is unacceptable.
This cannot be the Nigeria we long to see. These ugly incidences are getting worse by the day. “The unfortunate thing is that, up ill now, nothing has been done beyond public condemnation of these acts of brutalities.
There must be actions that ought to be taken by government to convince us that they are on top of the situation”, Bakare said. Going down memory lane, Bakare said “in Kano, a Deeper Life church pastor’s wife was accused of blasphemy and killed, only for everyone to hear later that she never uttered any word of blasphemy against Islam or Mohammed.
“During Ramadan, a young man was attacked by Moslems and severely wounded in Kaduna be-cause he was found eating during fasting. “There is the well publicised hacking to death of a Redeemed pastor’s wife in Kubwa, Abuja, an ECWA pastor who was murdered in Nasarawa State, just last Friday, a Redeemed pastor was shot in his farm by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Kafanchan, Kaduna State.
“Few days ago in Zamfara State, a boy was accused of blasphemy and attacked. The incident led to the killing and burning of eight Christians in the state,” Bakare narrated.
The Bishop further alleged that early in the year, “the Zamfara State government pulled down several Christian places of worship, including an Anglican auditorium, a Catholic building and an NYSC Secretariat chapel among others”.
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