The Christian
Association of Nigeria (Youth Wing) has called on the Federal Government to
probe the attack in the building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in
Ikotun-Egbe , Lagos and the recent incident on House on the Rock in Abuja.
The organisation on Thursday said it
had uncovered, through intelligence reports, desperate plans at official
quarters to silence Christianity. The national President of YOWICAN, Mr Daniel
David Kadzai, raised the alarm during press conference in Abuja saying that
classified intelligence available to them confirm a gang-up to ‘submerge,
subdue and possibly wipe-out Christianity from Nigeria.’
The text of the press conference reads:
“This intelligence further indicates that attacks such as the mystifying
collapse of a major building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in
Ikotun Egbe, Lagos State on the 12th of September 2014, the aberrant fire of
the House on the Rock Church in Abuja on the 25th of June, 2017, the
unobtrusive removal of the subject – Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) from the
curriculum of the Nigerian educational system, the killings in southern Kaduna
this year, the attack this week on a pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning
All (ECWA) serving under Keffi District Church Council (15 Kilometers from the
Federal Capital Territory Abuja) and the most recent one yesterday, the 28th of
June 2017 bombing of the Missionary Hospital in Bornu State all indicate the
verisimilitude of this intelligence.
“Further public outcry made by some
influential Christians in Nigeria (most especially Mr Femi Fani Kayode)
regarding what we saw in the past as mere “accidents” confirm our intelligence
and presents a clearer picture which is most disturbing, that most of these
happenings where not mere “accidents” after all.
“The Youth Wing of the Christian
Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) and the entire congregation of Christians in
Nigeria conclude, therefore, that there is a conscious and vehemently sustained
move to submerge, subdue and systematically exterminate the existence and
sustainability of Christianity and Christians in Nigeria. We wish to
emphatically make this point clear, “that we are not naive of these
machinations and that the time of political correctness, where such matters
when known were swept under the carpet and played as low as possible is over.
“YOWICAN with this statement wishes to
draw the attention of the public in Nigeria as well as the international
community on this development which we in the past thought were mere attacks or
calamities lacking coherent sequence. “In the same vein however, this statement
is also meant to inform both the perpetuators and sponsors of these heinous
schemes (religious fundamentalists and their sponsors who we now know are some
highly influential countries of the world), that the Christian community is
fully aware of their strategic plans and are watching closely to further bring
to further clarity, their intents.
“It is in this same vein that YOWICAN
calls on the government of Nigeria to mobilise as a matter of urgency, all it’s
law enforcement and diplomatic apparatuses for the purpose of further
investigating the matter, beef up security and begin enquiry and ascertain
their position on the matters raised here whilst also using and effectively
engaging their benefit of “state power” to probe most of these countries and
groups who are involved in these crimes against the Christian community in
Nigeria. From a national security perspective however, we believe that any
systemic plan aimed at submerging any religion in this country constitutes a
threat to the unity of this country. YOWICAN wishes to again affirm, that it
will keep a keen watch over the government of Nigeria to see how judiciously,
it reacts to matters raised in this statement.
“Also, the Nigerian government should
also open up investigations as soon as possible to ascertain the immediate and
remote cause of specifically, the SCOAN building church attack, to bring those
culpable of this heinous crime to this church to book and also come up with an
appropriate compensation to SCOAN for the embarrassment and damage to both the
image of this church and Christianity in Nigeria.
“Worthy of mention also, is the recent
outrageous approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC ) the sum of N4
billion for the purchase of Metro Plaza in Abuja to be used as National Hajj
Commission National Secretariat. Whilst emphasising that we do not have a
problem with any donations made to a religion outside Christianity, we wish to
reiterate that we are skeptical as to why such huge sums of money would be
approved for a particular religion while Christianity has only received meager
financial empowerment. We understand this and have made a correlation between
this donation and the aforementioned calculated scheme to quieten Christianity
in Nigeria.
“Finally, we wish to make it clear that
as a religion, known and practised in many countries of the world, and one that
has track record of championing peace and respect of humanity and life as
evident in the teachings of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, a religion that
is known for selflessness, one that has helped reinvigorate nations and bring
succour and hope to millions of people, Christianity and Christians in Nigeria
refuses to be intimidated by any uncivilised conquest of any fundamentalist
religious sect and their so-called sponsors.
“We demand a response to this statement
by the government of Nigeria in the weeks ahead with a detailed response to
reflect the following (1) what their findings as regards the matters raised
above are and (2) what they have done or will do (using the privilege of “state
power” in seeing to the stemming of such further embarrassments to our nation,
our churches, Christians, and the religion of Christianity in Nigeria. May God
bless and continue to foster the unity, peace and prosperity of Nigeria.”
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