The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the gruesome murder of Deborah Samuel, a 200 Level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, by some extremist fellow students on alleged blasphemy.
In a joint media briefing by CAN and CAN-Youth Wing, on Friday in Abuja, CAN’s General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, said that the unlawful and dastardly action of the perpetrators must be investigated.
Daramola said that the act should be condemned by all right thinking people and the security operatives should fish the perpetrators out and prosecute them.
“As long as the state fails to bring these beasts and criminals amidst us to book, the society will continue to be their killing fields.
“It is our expectation that the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, would ensure that the matter is not swept under the carpet, as it was done before,” he said.
Daramola said that CAN urged teachers and preachers of religious intolerance, extremism and terrorism to repent before the wrath of God descended on them, if the State fail to bring them to book.
“Such people are agents of death amidst people. CAN recalled the provocative and demeaning advertisement of the Sterling Bank, where the bank compared the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to “Agege bread”.
“Nobody was attacked and the CAN leadership accepted the apology tendered by its Chief Executive, Abubakar Suleiman,’’ he said.
Daramola said that CAN acknowledged and commended the restraint of Christian students of the College who refused to embrace self-help and reprisal on those who murdered their colleague.
He said that it was CAN’s prayers that those vampires in religious garments would not push the country to a religious war.
“Government and the security agencies should stop treating them with kid gloves. Enough is enough.
“CAN commiserates with the family of Deborah and other bereaved. May God console and comfort them in Jesus Name,’’ he said.
CAN’s Legal Director, Comfort Chigbue, said that justice ought to prevail, adding that Christians are law abiding citizens.
“We will wait to make sure the security agencies do the needful and ensure that this will be the last as necessary actions should be taken. We are sad, we are mourning in CAN,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr Belusochukwu Enwere, the National Chairman, CAN Youth Wing, said the unlawful and dastardly action of the perpetrators must be condemned by all right-thinking people.
He said the Police, Department of Security Services, the Minister of Education must fish out the perpetrators of the act and prosecute them as it is expected.
“Deborah deserves nothing but justice and we believe in your capacity at enthroning justice in this case, by bringing the perpetrators to book.
“We acknowledge and commend the restraint of Christian students of the College who refused to retaliate in the face of provocation on those who murdered their colleague,’’ Enwere said.
He thanked the religious leaders in the country, such as the CAN President, Dr Samson Ayokunle, Bishop Hassan Kukah and the Sultan of Sokoto for condemning this heinous act.