The killing of Deborah Samuel, a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, for alleged blasphemy in Sokoto State penultimate week, Christians in the country on Sunday staged a protest walk to express their anger as well as displeasure with the general treatment of Christians in the country, especially in the North.
The protest was called by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
In Lagos, the National Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Joshua Obayemi, said those killing Christians in the country are pushing the body of Christ to the wall.
Obayemi, the pastor in charge of Region 2 of the church, noted that “our daddy in the Lord, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God, always aligns with the directive of the Christian Association Of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship Of Nigeria (PFN) because it is natural that the church joins in solidarity with the body of Christ to protest the continuous killing of Christians in Nigeria.”
Adding his voice to the call for justice for Deborah, Obayemi, while responding to questions during the walk, asked: “Why should an innocent girl be killed in such a manner when the family had already put their hope in her?
“We believe that Islam is a peaceful religion and so we are surprised that some people will kill in such manner.”
Pastor Obayomi explained that Christianity, as a peaceful religion, accommodates everyone and teaches its adherents to show love to all. He added that the Bible teaches tolerance, even when faced with pains, and that is why Jesus said His followers should turn the second cheek when the first is slapped.
He, however, noted that “nobody can love his enemy more that himself or herself. Those who are killing Christians are by their actions pushing Christians to the wall and since government has failed in protecting the people, they may be forced to resort to self-defence because the law permits a person to take to self-defence if his or her life is threatened.”
The second-in-command to the General Overseer of the church added that the major duty of the government is to protect lives and property of its citizens, which should allow citizens to move about freely, sleep and wake up without being harassed or killed.
“And if any government fails in this crucial role, that means that particular government has failed.”
He called on government to be at the forefront of the fight for justice for Deborah.
On the forthcoming general election in 2023, the RCCG leader said Pastor Adeboye had directed that “all members of RCCG get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and perform their civic responsibilities by voting their conscience and not the dictates of any church because all we need is a good leader who will be ready to take Nigeria to greater height.”
Also, the President of CAN, Reverend (Dr) Samson Ayokunle, has said the Christian body would not rest without adequate justice for the late Deborah, just as he noted that “CAN is making every move so that the perpetrators will not go unpunished.”
The CAN president also urged all believers not to be dejected over the incident [Deborah’s killing], but should remain steadfast and be closer to God.
Reverend Ayokunle made this known in Oyo State during the protest walk held at the Oritamefa Baptist Church, Total Garden, Ibadan.
The CAN president said the reason for the protest was because of the recent killing of Deborah and how the perpetrators are yet to be brought to book, as well as to put a stop to the killing of Christians in the county.
“We have gathered to unanimously say no to jungle justice, killing of the innocent, as if Nigeria is a banana republic. We are saying that Nigeria is a law-guided society, and for every sin, whether religion or no religion, the constitution of Nigeria is supreme.
“Constitution must be brought to bear upon every conduct of all Nigerians. No religious adherents, henceforth, should be allowed to take the law into their own hands any longer, and there must be justice for the people whose lives have been unduly terminated and their dreams perished. There must be justice for them in Nigeria,” he added.
Ayokunle, therefore, urged Christians to keep the peace, noting that without peace, there would be no prosperity.
Also, the outgoing Archbishop of the Ibadan Province (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend Segun Okubadejo, described the killing of Deborah as a shame and evidence that Nigeria is a divided country.
The cleric, who was celebrated through a cathedral/ valedictory service at the Cathedral of St. Peters, Aremo, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Sunday, seized the event to condemn the circumstances that led to the death of Deborah.
“Nigeria is a divided country and it has been that way for about eight years. It is a dichotomy. It is like the North versus the South. If you look at the way President Muhammadu Buhari is governing the country, it is obvious the country is lopsided and the painful part is that we don’t have listening leaders,” he added.
Referring to his recently-launched book, entitled ‘Waste of Grace,’ Okubadejo noted that Nigeria is wasting a lot of grace because it has refused to follow the path of righteousness and that what is a reflection in the country is an offshoot of the way it is being governed.
He also stressed that there is nowhere in the Bible or the Quran where killing is allowed, adding that, “it is a shame that we are experiencing this as a country. We are appealing to our brothers and sisters in Christendom to be calm and hopeful that we will have justice. “As for us, we will not raise arms against anybody because it is not Christ-like. We will continue to pray because we don’t fight for our God; He fights for us.”
In Ekiti State, Christians trooped out to sue for peace and unity in the country. Participants in the protest walk also called for an end to the incessant killings of innocent Nigerians while using religion as a disguise.
Speaking with newsmen after the protest, the pastor in-charge of RCCG, Palace of Praise, Youth Province 9 Headquarters, Ado-Ekiti, Pastor Anthonio Obinna-Ibe, said the essence of the protest walk was to comply with the directive of CAN, denounce the killing of Deborah and other Christians in the country and also sue for peace and unity.
First published in Tribuneonline
