Protests in Lagos, Plateau, Abuja as CAN demand arrest of cleric

Christian leaders in Lagos State have called on the political class to be sincere in solving the security challenges facing the nation. They made the call on Sunday to mark a peaceful protest against the murder of Deborah Samuel as directed by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

 

Speaking with journalists at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, National Headquarters, Ebute Metta, Pastor Funso Odesola, who is the Assistant General Overseer of the RCCG (Administration and Personnel), said Nigerians should make room for unity and always see themselves as one.

 

He said: “CAN instruct all churches to do this peaceful protest since we belong to CAN. We had to participate to demonstrate that the lives of human be  ings matter and that we live in harmony, whether Muslim, Christian, or those who practice other religions.

“Nigeria is one and a secular country now. I read this morning on social media that a social activist said Jesus is not the son of God and nothing has happened to her. If what I heard as a voice note that the lady (Deborah) said, then that does not warrant her life to be taken.

 

“Nigeria is for every one of us and not for a  certain set of people. If people from the North can come and settle here and build their mosques why can’t we go to the North and build… What we are protesting is to let Nigerians be free to live wherever they want to live.”

 

Hundreds of members of Plateau State CAN on Sunday defied the rain to protest against the brutal killing of Deborah. The protesters dressed in black demanded the immediate arrest of the cleric that on social media incited Muslim youths to kill Christians.

 

Chairman of CAN Very Rev. Fr. Polycarp Lubo warned against provoking Christians, saying Christians would no longer tolerate killings, but will rather go into self-defence against acts of lawlessness.

 

He said there were several occasions that Jesus Christ was blasphemed by Muslims, especially in the North but Christians didn’t kill or take the laws into their own hands.