As the three day ultimatum giving to Christians and Southerners living in the North to vacate the North expires today, the Islamic Terrorist sect Boko Haram has attacked a Deeper Life Christian Church in the Nasarawo district of Gombe city and killed six worshippers and wounded ten others.
NaijaPundit spoke to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor who gave us the following reaction.
“Christians must not run away from the North. If we run away what we are doing is saying to this people that they have won. Criminals and religious fanatics can not dictate to us in Nigeria. I call on Christians not to revenge but they must defend themselves. Whatever they can do to protect themselves they should do. Christians must arise and protect themselves. I appeal to our people to remain calm and law abiding. We must not revenge. People should join me in the National Prayer tomorrow. We must all fast and pray to lift this dark cloud of terrorism over Nigeria”
The Federal Government had on New Year’s eve temporarily shut the nation’s borders and declared a State of Emergency in four states and fifteen local government areas in order to tackle the threat posed by Boko Haram to the national security of Nigeria.
After this incidence, Boko Haram had given a three day ultimatum to Christians and Southerners to leave the North or face an escalation of attacks. The ultimatum expired today.
There have been a heightened state of tension in Northern Nigeria since the Christmas day bombings by Boko Haram which claimed 40 lives, mostly Christians who had converged at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger to celebrate Christmas Day.
After the incidence the Pastor Oritsejafor had called for Christians to defend themselves from further attacks, a call which met with angry reactions from Muslism groups and individuals with the JNI criticizing him heavily. But perhaps none of the criticism was as intense as that from Malam Bashir Yusuf, former political adviser to former VP Atiku Abubakar, who launched a virulent personal attack on Pastor Oritsejafor, calling him a bigot, a hypocritice and insinuating that he had a drug problem and was a victim of his childhood grudges.
No comments:
Post a Comment