The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai to go after the killers in the state and not mourners.
In a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, the President of the association, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, said the threat reportedly issued by Governor el-Rufai to get the Founder and Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche arraigned in Kaduna over alleged “hate speech” is uncalled for.
The governor had allegedly claimed that Pastor Enenche’s utterances escalated recent killings that rocked Kasuwan Magani on October 18, 2018.
The crisis was followed by the assassination of the Agom Adara, Dr Maiwada Raphael Galadima, on October 26, 2018.
Ayokunle in the statement said that while CAN abhors hate speech in whatever form, it is becoming very difficult to determine what constitutes “hate speech” and who should be responsible for assessing what constitutes the hate speech, if Governor el-Rufai’s threat is considered.
“It has become much difficult to know whose speech is to be regarded as hate speech and which speech should not. We have also examined the video clip of the Pastor and are abreast of all the facts concerning the Kasuwan Magani killings, among others.
“The main subject of Dr. Enenche’s clip which Governor el-Rufai is alleging to be a “hate speech” to us is an outright condemnation of the fate that has befallen the Adara people and Christians in Southern Kaduna through the creation of new emirates namely; Lere, Kagarko and Kajuru. By the creation of these emirates, especially that of Kajuru, the Adara people have been subjugated,” Ayokunle said in the statement signed on his behalf by his spokesman, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji.
According to him, from a careful study of the speech, Pastor Enenche is not the originator of what he spoke about as his saying “About the middle of this year, we heard a Christian first class Chief, that they were told from the news report we heard…” hence the video, he was speaking about was what he read or heard from the news.
He said, “While we will continue to condemn hate speech by religious leaders and other Nigerians, we cannot stand and watch our respected leaders being set up for molestation, humiliation and prosecution for an unfounded “hate speech.”
“The questions in the minds of the church are: why is it very easy for government to identify those lamenting over the unabated killings of Christians in Kaduna and other states in the Middle Belt for persecution? Why is it easy by government to seek to apprehend and prosecute the crying victims and almost an impossible task to bring killers to justice?
“Why is it easier for the el-Rufai government to know and get “the agents of careless statement…” but most expensive and almost impossible for him to identify the Kaduna killing agents despite years of such continuous killings? Have the killers of Agom Adara, Dr. Maiwada Raphael Galadima, been apprehended? How long will it take the Governor el-Rufai to apprehend them?” he queried.
He warned that any attempt to arrest and harass any of their pastors will be considered an attempt to silence the voice of the Church and reasoning in the nation.
He therefore urged Governor el-Rufai to channel his strength towards getting the sponsors and perpetrators of the heinous crimes going on in Kaduna State arrested and prosecuted rather than chasing good Nigerians who are contributing immensely to the peace, growth and development of the nation.
He also urged the police not to be distracted by those who are after and hunting innocent Nigerians but to be focused on getting criminals perpetrating the crimes with the view of arresting and punishing them and averting further polarization of the nation.
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