The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has asked Christians in
the country and in the diaspora to wear black clothes to mourn those
killed in Southern Kaduna.
The association also faulted the silence of President Muhammadu
Buhari on the development, alleging that he has endorsed the killings of
Christians.
Musa Asake, general secretary of CAN, said this in a statement.
“The ongoing silence over the ongoing genocide in Kaduna in the last
few weeks speaks volume over perceived official endorsement of the
dastardly and ungodly acts,” Asake said in a statement.
“In view of the present predicament, the president of CAN has
directed that Sunday, January 8, 2017, should be declared a national day
of mourning by Christians including those in the Diaspora.
“We are to pray fervently for our southern Kaduna brothers and
sisters who are victims of these wanton killings and also for the peace
of our dear country, Nigeria. Therefore all Christians are to dress in
the mourning attire black dresses in all our church services on January
8, 2017.
“We are to pray that God who delivered the Jews from Haman should
deliver Christians from the Hamans in Nigeria. An injustice to one is an
injustice to all.”
CAN asked Nigerians to speak up against the “ethnic and religious
cleansing to wake up the Nigerian security agencies from their
deliberate slumber to carry out their responsibility.”
The association said the Christians in Nigeria have been persecuted since 2009.
“Though the church in Nigeria, since 2009, has been subjected to a
systematic genocide and persecution through the instrumentality of the
Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, leading to the killings of
thousands of Christians and destruction of hundreds of churches, and
over 50,000 houses, the current unprecedented onslaught against
Christians by Islamic fundamentalists disguising as Fulani herdsmen
under the watch of Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and
President Muhammadu Buhari has reached an alarming stage.”
“While we commend President Buhari for waging war against Boko Haram
since his assumption of office, his silence over the ongoing genocide in
the last few weeks speaks volume over the perceived official
endorsement of the dastardly and ungodly acts.”