Church Attack: Don’t mistake our calmness for weakness, CAN warns

By Juliana MAIRIGA, Minna The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter, Rev. Mathias Echioda has unequivocally condemned the barbaric action of the so-called “Muslim Youth” who attacked St. Philip’s Catholic Church in Barkin-Iku, Suleja, on 15th July, 2016; more so that the attack, as usual, was unprovoked. “The fact that Christianity has always been known as a peace- loving and peace-promoting faith should however not be taken for weakness and thus be tempted to press us to the wall – no person or religion has monopoly of violence, and we are not fools. “We commend the CAN leaders in Suleja for restraining Christian youth from reprisal action. We commend the Niger State Government for out rightly condemning the barbaric act and for directing that the attack be investigated and culprits be brought to book. Needless to say that the devastation be adequately
compensated, so that the Church will immediately resume her worship services. “Gov. Abubakar Sani Bello’s response to the Pandogari debacle, where he set up a Commission of Enquiry is good reason for us not to doubt his commitment to seeing that the Suleja miscreants will be brought to book. “We also commend security agencies, Suleja Local Government Council Chairman, and the traditional stool for mediating. This, no doubt, went far to curtail the situation from going beyond
what happened. “Let this be a warning then that Christians shall not fold their hands; we shall protect and defend our fundamental and constitutional rights. After all, Niger State and Nigeria belong to all of us. We must therefore learn to tolerate and appreciate our obvious differences. And Government should put structures in place through the Bureau for Religious Affairs to discourage messages of hatred at our places of worship and from our public domain”, he stated