Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), came a bombshell yesterday when he described Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as spokesman of the dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram.
The venue of his outburst was Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he briefed the media on the resolutions of the CAN’s extra-ordinary council meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC). Pastor Oritsejafor said that for Tukur, leader of the biggest party in Africa to have justified Boko Haram’s activities as a fight for justice showed that many leaders in Nigeria were active supporters of the sect.
As the CAN leader spoke, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Jama’atul Nasri Islam (JNI), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111, yesterday in Kaduna appealed to members as well as the Muslim Ummah to ensure peace and security reign in the North CAN president wondered the kind of justice, Boko Haram was fighting for when even the Federal Government had paid the family of their slain Mohammed Yusuf, N100 million, claimed as damages for the assumed extra-judicial killing of the sect leader.
“But thousands of Christians are being killed. I know of Pastor Ojeh, from Benue State whom he alleged Yusuf personally killed for refusing to cite some verses of the Quran in Maiduguri. We had since evacuated the widow and three children and paid rent for them in another state. Every Christmas, we would send food and money to them. Who has compensated that family till now; so, what is justice in the eyes of Bamanga Tukur?” Oritsejafor asked.
On the resolutions of the NEC meeting, the CAN president said; “NEC observed the sporadic shootings, incessant killings of Christians, the bombing of churches, silent killings, slaughtering and the silent disposal of corpses of those killed have continued. NEC members believe that contrary to the orchestrated reasons of poverty and injustice, by some Muslim leaders in the North, Boko Haram had been masterminding the series of bomb and gun attacks which are primarily targeted at Christians in its bid to exterminate all forms of Western education and enthrone the Islamic law of Sharia as the universal law in Nigeria.
“The NEC of CAN observes that the total number of people killed by the sect members is far more than it is reported in the media and the sequence of fatal attacks and silent killings present a grim picture of the trauma of Christians in the North. According to the figures presented at the meeting, the 300 deaths recorded in March went up to about 500 in April and by yesterday, May 23, the figure has hit over 1,000 with more number of injured Christians.”
Pastor Oritsejafor said both government and security agencies need to do more to contain the senseless killings and that government should seriously consider Boko Haram as a terrorist group, even as NEC urged the government to mobilize human and financial resources in its fight against the sect.
While reiterating the call for prayers and fasting by all Christian. . . . .
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/national/article/boko-haram-oritsejafor-hits-bamanga-tukur-0
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