The Christian Association of Nigeria has expressed displeasure at the removal of Nigeria from the religious freedom blacklist by the United States Government.
CAN’s President, Rev Samson Ayokunle in a statement titled, ‘CPC List: We Are At a Loss On the Data the US Government Used for the Delisting of Nigeria – CAN,’ said the US supposed to have contacted it before making such a move.
Ayokunle argued that the US should have consulted the christian body before taking such an action
“If they had done, we would have been able to compare the statistics then and now on the issue of freedom of religion in Nigeria,” he said.
Ayokunle lamented that Christians were still facing persecution from ISWAP and the Boko Haram.
“These are the people who said their agenda was to wipe away Christianity from Nigeria and to plant Islam as the only religion from the North down to the Atlantic Ocean in the South. That agenda with the killing of Christians has not stopped till today and Nigerians are living witnesses.”
“The bandits have joined other militant Islamic groups to be ferociously attacking churches, killing worshippers and kidnapping for ransom. The herdsmen are equally doing their havoc. We have lost many people and places of worship to their assault, especially in the Northcentral part of the country and the Northeast.
“Though the madness has grown now and those who are not Christians are being attacked, killed and kidnapped, this is because these criminal acts have become a lucrative business and it is whoever you can kidnap for money! If the government had responded appropriately when this criminal madness began and subdued these evil groups immediately, we wouldn’t be where we are now!”
