BY CHIOMA UMEHA
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has firmly opposed the brutal murder of Deborah Samuel, a Christian 200-level student at Sokoto's Shehu Shagari College of Education, by some orthodox classmates for blasphemy.
On behalf of the association, the CAN's General Secretary, Joseph Bade Daramola, Esq, stated that the criminals' illegal and atrocious activities must not only be condemned by all right-thinking people, but security personnel must also discover and prosecute them as required.
The group suggested that "in the past, the failure of security agencies and the government to respond to such criminalities gave rise to terrorists and bandits." And as long as the state government fails to bring these beasts and criminals to justice, society will continue to be their killing grounds.
"We appreciate His Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar 111's prompt reaction, in which he not only condemned the illegal and religiously intolerant behavior, but also called on security authorities to bring the offenders to punishment. We want the State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to ensure that the subject is not pushed under the rug as it was previously.
"We also call on all teachers and preachers of religious intolerance, extremism, and terrorism to repent before God's vengeance falls on them if the State fails to bring them to justice. They are death agents among us.
"We recall the Sterling Bank's controversial and insulting commercial in which the bank equated Jesus Christ's Resurrection to "Agege bread," until now, nobody has been attacked, and even the CAN leadership has accepted the apologies given by its Chief Executive, Abubakar Suleiman. Killing in the name of any God is sinful, satanic, dumb, disgusting, and completely wrong. This is not the Stone Age, nor is Nigeria a banana republic. Nigeria is still a non-religious state, with no religion ruling supreme.
