North pastors ask US, UN to prevent war in Nigeria

A coalition of Christians in the North under the auspices of the Arewa Christians and Indigenous Pastors Association has said that the United Nations needs to urgently intervene in Nigeria’s situation in order to prevent a “full blown” war in the country.

The Chairman of the association, Rev. Luke Shehu, stated this at a press conference in Jos on Thursday. Shehu decried the injustice going in the country and the government’s lack of interest to address the problems.

“Following Nigeria’s slide into being a failed state and on the precipice of anarchy, absence of social justice, the rule of law, denial of minority rights and freedom of practice of religion as well as persecution coupled with absence of institutions to check government abuse or to uphold the tenets of democracy, we kindly request that the United States Government through the appropriate process assign a special envoy to Nigeria with immediate effect to forestall a total breakdown of law and order leading to war.

Shehu said, “Unless the Nigerian Muslims and politicians are telling Nigerians that the Constitution is inferior to the Sharia law, we must expunge the 1999 Constitution smuggled in by the fraudulent military government under retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1999. He did a great disservice by being part of Nigeria’s problem today.

Northern states with highest Christian population face persecution – CAN

Similarly, the Christian Association of Nigeria, on Thursday, said it was disheartening to see that states with highest Christian population in the North had faced severe persecution in the past six years.

The President of CAN, Dr Samuel Ayokunle, stated this during the breakfast meeting of the association held in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Ayokunle, who applauded the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, for standing for social justice for all parts of the country, said, “Benue is among the most persecuted states in the last six years, just as states with large population of Christians especially in the North have faced the most severe persecution ever seen in the history of Nigeria.

“It is disheartening and most disappointing for some leaders to come out boldly to support the gross injustice being perpetrated. What type of audacity in supporting evil and illegality are we witnessing today?”

• The PUNCH.