Christians on Sunday embarked on peaceful protest against incessant killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the country.
Rev. Olasupo Ayokunle, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), had in a statement on Wednesday, urged Christians to hold peaceful protests within their church premises on Sunday, April 29.
He made the call against the backdrop of Tuesday killing of two priests and 17 worshippers at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.
Oyo CAN Protests
In Ibadan, Oyo State, churches from different denominations under the umbrella body of CAN embarked on peaceful protest.
The Chairman of CAN in Oyo State, Pastor Benjamin Akanmu, said that members had been directed to stage the protest in compliance with the directives by the national body.
Akanmu said that the protest was limited to the vicinity of the churches in order to prevent it from being hijacked by hoodlums.
Rev. Dr Samuel Wojuola, the Senior Pastor of Bodij-Ashi Baptist Church, Ibadan, during the rally by the church urged government to address the security challenges in the country.
Wojuola said that the incessant killings must be halted to promote peaceful coexistence.
Churches In Benue Mourn Victims Of Killings
In many churches in Makurdi on Sunday Christian faithful wore black and white attires as a mark of mourning for the murdered catholic priests and parishioners of St Ignatius Church, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area.
Reports noted that most worshippers, regardless of denomination, wore black and white dresses to church.
The worshippers held peaceful protests within their churches to denounce the acts of barbarism and gruesome killings and other attacks on innocent citizens.
They held placards with inscriptions such as ‘Enough of the killings’, ‘We want peace in our state’, ‘No more bloodshed’, ‘Lord, what have we done to deserve this?’ among others.
At the NKST Church in Iyortyer, Makurdi, worshippers carried placards and marched peacefully within the premises of the worship house.
Speaking to newsmen, Pastor Frederick Ikyaan of NKST Church at High Level area of the metropolis, said the Christian community was in mourning.
“We are saddened by these killings and we want the world to know our displeasure over these acts,’’ he said.
On his part, Rev. Father Patrick Odeh of St. Juliana Catholic Mission, Bebe, High Level, accused Nigerian politicians of playing games with human lives.
Odeh said politicians were bereft of conscience in handling such sensitive matters as the killings, adding that the death of the two priests had united the church and made it stronger.
Ondo CAN Prevents Akeredolu’s Deputy From Addressing Protesters
Christians in Ondo State on Sunday protested the incessant killings in the country.
The protest, which was organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), disrupted vehicular movements for several hours.
The protesters carried placards with different inscriptions and matched to the Governor’s Office, singing anti-government songs.
At the Governor’s Office, Agboola Ajayi, the state deputy governor, came out to address the gathering.
But Agboola was not allowed to address the protesting Christians, who insisted on seeing Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
John Ayo Oladapo, CAN state chairman, said the protest across the country became necessary following the incessant killings of innocent Christians across the country.
Oladapo flayed what he described as the lopsidedness in the appointment of security chiefs in the country, calling on the president to address the development.
“We are here today to register out displeasure with the ongoing killings across the country. We want to say Christians in the country are not second class citizens. We will not allow these killings.
“Why is it that all our security chiefs are from the same region. We condemn these appointments. Our government must listen to us.
“Let Buhari forget 2019 for now and face security issues in the country. This is not the time for electioneering.
“We sent our letter to the governor of our coming today and the letter was duly received by the office of the governor and since his inception, he has been repeatedly ignoring us as Christian association.
“Finally, I want to tell our people to go out there and register. Also get your PVC for you to do the needful come 2019. We are waiting for them,” he said.
We Want Peace In Our Nation, Says CAN Lagos
The CAN, Lagos State chapter during the peaceful protest in the state demanded that government delay no further in solving the issue of the herdsmen attack that keeps claiming lives and property.
The body also requested that the government in collaboration with the security agents ensure that Leah Sharibu, the Christian girl kidnapped from her school in Dapchi gets freed.
It as well tasked Christians to speak out against the different forms of evil in the country instead of keeping mute and watch things get out of hand.
Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, the state Chairman of CAN and founder of Zion The City Of The Lord Ministries, Obalande/Ikoyi, who spoke through the coordinator of CAN, Ikoyi/Obalande Local Council Area, Pastor John West, told DAILY INDEPENDENT that: “The issues going on in the nation are very provocative issues that the Christians have to rise up and do something or at least say something.
“The Christians have been talking but it seems the voices of the Christians have always been swept under the carpet. Nationwide we are made to look voiceless but we need to send the signal to the government of this nation over the issues going on right now.”
Kano CAN Embarks On Prayers
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kano State chapter, has decided to embark on intense prayers to stop the spate of killings across the country.
Rev Adeolu Samuel, the Chairman of the state chapter of the association, stated this at a news conference on Sunday in Kano.
He explained that there was need for the Federal Government to declare the killers as terrorists and rise against them, while the military should also confront them as such.
The CAN president also appealed to the Federal Government to go extra miles in freeing Leah Sharibu and the other abducted Chibok Girls by the terrorists.
Christians Protest In Abuja
In Abuja, members of First Baptist Church, Garki, Abuja, took to the streets to protest incessant killings of Christians by suspected herdsmen in the country.
Addressing journalists during the protest, the Pastor in Charge, Rev Israel Akanji, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to find a lasting solution to the carnage going on in some parts of the country.
He noted that the protest was to drive home a point that they are not happy with the spate of killings in the country, describing the latest killings as sacrilegious and abominable where 19 worshippers were hacked to death in the church, including two priests.
Members carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Stop killings in Benue’, ‘Thou shall not kill’, ‘Give peace a chance’, among others.
ESOCS Church Protest Against Killings
Members of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim (ESOCS), Yewa Provincial Headquarters, Ilaro, Ogun State, on Sunday staged a protest against killings across Nigeria.
Elder ‘Biodun Sanyaolu, the National Director of CAN, while addressing the gathering vehemently rejected the violent activities of Boko Haram and the marauding herdsmen in Nigeria.
Sanyaolu also demanded for the release of Leah Sharibu, the young schoolgirl abducted by Boko Haram terrorists from the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State.
He called on the Federal Government “to act swiftly to put an end to the killings”.
He added that “no excuse should be given for the wicked act and perpetrators should be brought to book”.
Members of ESOCS carried placards with different inscriptions: ‘Enough of bloodshed in Nigeria,’ ‘Enough of unlawful killings in the country’, ‘FG, release Leah Sharibu from Bondage’, ‘FG, stop herdsmen killings’, among others.
Osun Baptist Faithful Protest
Members of the Baptist Church in Osun State on Sunday staged peaceful protest over incessant killing and insurgency in some part of the country.
They called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently find lasting solution to the acts, which they described as barbaric, wicked and ungodly.
Armed with placards with various inscriptions such as ‘This government should allow peace to reign’, ‘Free the remaining Chibok girls’, ‘Those killings must stop’, ‘Security agencies be alive to your work’, ‘Free Leah Sharibu’, among others, the members of the church stormed the popular Jaleoyemi/Olaiya Junction, Osogbo, the state capital, to register their displeasure.
According to Pastor Femi Abiola of the Calvary Baptist Church, Osogbo, their spokesperson, the protest is needful, so that the world will know the challenges Nigerian Christians are facing in the hands of insurgents and herdsmen.
Abiola, who bemoaned perpetual killing of innocent Christians and kidnapping of their children in some parts of the country, said the Federal Government should rise and do something about it.
Pastor Olamide Kehinde of Union Baptist Church, Osogbo, said the Christians were not happy with the continuous security challenges which Nigerian security operatives have not been able to adequately handle.
Protest In Ekiti
In Ekiti State, CAN lamented the incessant killing of fellow Christians in Benue and the North East.
According to the association, which carried out the mass protest under heavy security mounted by a joint patrol of men of the Nigeria Police and Civil Defence Corps, the current trend might lead to another civil war if not curtailed.
Most churches visited witnessed low turn-out of worshipers as many abandoned service in preference for the protest which began about 2pm.
Led by the state Chairman of CAN, Rev. Joshua Orikogbe and other top church leaders from the 16 local government areas of the state, the association called on President Muhammadu Buhari to act swiftly by stopping the menace and bringing the culprits to book.
This was aside other protests carried out in the early hours of the morning by various individual churches such as Gospel Faith Mission International, (GOFANMIT) and the Baptist Church among other denominations.
They marched from CAN state headquarters along Adebayo/Opopogbooro area of the state capital to the popular Adekunle Fajuyi Memorial Park, before ending it all at the Government House where they sent a letter to the president through Governor Ayo Fayose.
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