- calls for prosecution of perpetrators
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Friday, condemned the gruesome murder of Deborah Yakubu, by some extremist fellow students who stormed her hostel and dragged her out before they beat her to death and set her body ablaze for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammed (SAW).
In a statement issued by CAN’s General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, the association stated that the unlawful and dastardly action of the perpetrators must not only be condemned by all right thinking people, security operatives must fish them out and prosecute them.
CAN noted that the failure of security agencies and government to respond to such criminal acts in the past was what gave birth to terrorists and bandits.
It stressed that as long as the state fails to bring such “beasts and criminals” to book, the society will remain their killing fields.
CAN hailed the swift reaction of the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, who did not only condemn their action but called on the security agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice.
It urged Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State to ensure that the matter is not swept under the carpet, as it once was.
CAN said: “We also call on all teachers and preachers of religious intolerance, extremism and terrorism to repent before the wrath of God descends on them if the state failed to bring them to book. They are agents of death amidst us.
“We recall the provocative and demeaning advertisement of Sterling Bank where the bank compared the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to “Agege bread”, up till now, nobody was attacked and even the CAN leadership has accepted the apology tendered by its Chief Executive, Abubakar Suleiman.
“Killing for any God in the name of blasphemy is ungodly, satanic, foolish, reprehensible and totally unacceptable. This is not a Stone Age and Nigeria is not a Banana Republic.
“Nigeria remains a non-religious state where no religion is supreme to the other.
“We acknowledge and commend the restraint of the Christian students of the college who refused to embrace self-help and reprisal attacks on those who murdered their colleague.
“It is our prayers that those vampires in religious garments will not push the country into a religious war.
“This is why both the government and the security agencies must stop treating them with kid gloves. Enough is enough.”
