Sa’ad Abubakar, sultan of Sokoto,
says he is shocked by the claim of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
that Christians are being persecuted in the country.
CAN had backed the inclusion of
Nigeria by the US in the list of nations that tolerate religious persecution.
Adebayo Oladeji, special
assistant on media and communications to Samson Ayokunle, CAN president, in a
statement, said the US was not blind to the alleged killing and alienation of
Christians in key political appointments.
He also said Christians are the
targets of the Boko Haram insurgent group and bandits.
“All the key appointments that
are being made since the second term of the President began, follow the same
blueprint. These are facts and they are violations of some portions of the 1999
Constitution (as amended),” he said.
“It is widely believed that no
country survives two civil wars. We, therefore, call on the government to
correct the imbalances and not to be insensitive to the new development but
instead address all the factors that are responsible.
“It is a fact that not fewer than
95 per cent of those who are being detained by the terrorists are Christians
and the government has been paying lips service towards securing their
freedoms.
“Leah Sharibu is a case study and
the only reason why the government that secured the release of her colleagues
has not freed her is because of her religion. We wonder why the government has
not done the needful to liberate this innocent girl who happens to be a
daughter of a Police officer.”
But speaking at the closing
ceremony of 77th annual Islamic vacation course (IVC) organised by the Muslim
Society of Nigeria (MSSN) at Bayero University, Kano, Abubakar said CAN’s claim
is “false and partial”.
He said the criminal activities
perpetrated by armed “Fulani herdsmen” were not triggered by religion, “because
not all Fulanis are Muslims”.
He said there are Christian
Fulanis just as there are Muslims ones.
“If such persecution really
exist, such is supposed to be tabled at the Interfaith Forum where Muslims and
Christians leaders meet periodically to discuss issues that would promote
harmonious coexistence between the two religions,” Abubakar said.
“Many Fulanis are atheists whose
main interest is to protect their cattle.”
The federal government in July
also refuted claims that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is
alienating and persecuting Christians.
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He said the criminal activities perpetrated by armed “Fulani herdsmen” were not triggered by religion, “because not all Fulanis are Muslims”.,,so why have you not support the call to term miyeti terrorist , and why have you not been condemning the criminal activities perpetrated by armed “Fulani herdsmen”
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