Christians have been asked to protect
themselves in the wake of the murder of a
Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)
pastor’s wife.
According to The Nation, the leadership of
the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
described the recent killing of Christians as
brutal and unacceptable, adding: “authority’s
inaction is becoming unbearable and may not
be tolerated anymore.”
Recall that Mrs Eunice Elisha, wife of a
Redeemed pastor, was murdered in the early
hours of Saturday, July 9, in Kubwa area of
the federal capital territory, Abuja, during
evangelism.
Since the incident, there have been series of
comments on the assault, with so many
people calling for the heads of the
perpetrators of the act.
The Christian leaders through Reverend
Musa Asake, the general secretary of have
now asked their members to buckle up and
start defending themselves against
subsequent attacks.
“The unprovoked attacks on Christians and the
authority’s inaction is becoming unbearable
and may not be tolerated anymore, inasmuch
as we will continue to call on Christians to
remain tolerant and law abiding, it is becoming
inevitable to also call on them to buckle up
and be ready to defend themselves against
these incessant unprovoked and mindless
attacks.
“The National leadership and the entire
members of Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN) have received with rude shock and
disbelief the report of yet another religious
hatred murder of a dedicated 42 year old
Christian mother of seven children, Mrs.
Eunice Elisha, who on Saturday 9th July, 2016,
was brutally killed while doing Christian
evangelism.
“Mrs. Eunice Elisha was murdered in Kubwa
area of Abuja, FCT, in the early hours of the
day. Her neck was slashed and she was also
stabbed in the stomach. About a month ago in
Kano, Mrs. Bridget Agbaheme, a 74 year old
Christian was murdered at Wambai market due
to an altercation with a Muslim man who came
to the front of her shop to perform ablution.
Her offence was that she objected to the
Islamic washing rite in front of her shop.
“Just last week a clergyman of the Evangelical
Church Winning All (ECWA) Reverend Zakariya
was killed by attackers suspected to be Fulani
Herdsmen in Obi LGA of Nasarawa state. They
attacked him on his farm, cut off his arms and
legs, then they chopped his head with a
machete. Another fresh but sad news reaching
us is that of the Fulani herdsmen militia that
is back on rampage killing 81 people in
multiple attacks in Logo and Ukum local
government areas of Benue state in central
Nigeria.
“In recent times, there have been multiple
cases of attacks by Fulani herdsmen on
various Christian communities, all over the
nation. In the South East and in the South
South zones, there have been gruesome
attacks on IPOB members and on Christian
communities in the Niger Delta. All these are in
addition to the relentless attacks of Boko
Haram and Fulani herdsmen in the Middle Belt
and southern Borno.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria
commiserates with the families affected by
these mindless orgies of death and destruction
as well as with the entire Christian community
in Nigeria. We pray that God in His mercy shall
comfort and strengthen the families of all the
Nigerians affected in these unwarranted
murders unleashed upon the nation by
religious extremists.
“The recurring decimal of violence and murder
of innocent Nigerian citizens on the basis of
religious intolerance demands specific and
relevant response from all concerned citizens
in the country more so when the government
in power seems to have adopted an attitude of
lukewarm response to the evils being
perpetrated in Nigeria in the name of religion.
“The discrimination against non-Muslims in
Nigeria under the Buhari Administration is
assuming a dangerous dimension that should
not be left to the vagaries of time and
circumstance to resolve,” the statement read.
While warning that those concerned with the
safety of lives are not doing so, CAN added:
“You will agree with me that with these
happenings and the lukewarm attitude by the
authorities concern toward putting an end to
it, Nigeria is dancing a macabre dance of
death, both for the nation and for its citizens.
It is time to stop the beat and let common
sense guide the nation out of the present
quagmire. A stitch in time saves nine.
“Before the situation escalates into an
unmanageable national crisis, the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN) is calling on the
authorities both at the states and federal to do
everything possible to bring the perpetrators
to justice if the confidence of Christians on
this government must be maintained.”
Meanwhile, the General Overseer of the
RCCG, Pastor E A Adeboye, has visited the
family of the bereaved after the incident
attracted national sympathy due to its
gruesome nature.
Pastor Adebayo Tiamiyu, a family friend to
the Olawales, confirmed the visit, saying: “I
just learnt that the G.O visited the family early
this morning to condole with them on the
death of their loved one.
“You know the man of God had a programme
at the Abuja stadium on Monday, so he visited
the family on his way to the airport for his
flight to Lagos.”
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