…Calls for collective unity against terrorists in north.
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The 19 Northern State’s chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Abuja, has cleared the air on discrepancies surrounding the earlier positions of Bishop Kukah of Sokoto Diocese and Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State over “Christian genocide” allegations leveled against Nigeria State by the administration of US President, Donald Trump.
The duo were widely criticised by Christian communities across the country for outrightly dismissing US President allegations, allegedly stating that there was no Christian genocide in Nigeria as projected by the US President.
Speaking during an interactive session at a media parley organized weekend in Kaduna by the Northern CAN Chairman, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, the CAN charman vividly explained that, while Bishop Kukah did not said exactly what had been said against him, the Benue Governor was more orless political in his statement.
The CAN Chairman, who fielded questions from newsmen, said “The truth is that Bishop Kukah didn’t say what we said; but overwhelmingly admitted killings of Christians.”
He explained that, “Bishop Kukah simply put some rhetorical questions to a congregation and said, ‘We claim to be the most educated and then we are calling groups that we think are not educated, that they are committing genocide against us.’ What have we done ourselves,” he also asked.
Rev. Hayab further stated that, “The second rhetorical question is, he says, ‘if we are talking about genocide, it’s not just a figure that determines genocide, it’s the action that determines genocide. So, killing one person could be genocide and 10 million people could not be genocide.’
“And there are other things; I think there’s confusion here. It’s not because people wanted to debate this story. And he explain and said, if Christians think that there was genocide, was killing of Deborah not genocide, to justify the number,?” he stated.
According to Rev. Hayab, “When Deborah was killed for blasphemy, if Christians had come to Sokoto; he cited the example which I’m going to illustrate. If you had sent 100 or 50 Knights to Sokoto that you’ve come to protest the killing of Deborah, it would have made headlines, saying that there was no solidarity.
“You are counting numbers as if one soul is not important. But the person who reported it chose to say, Kukah said 10 million is not genocide.
“And I’ve just finished explaining it. You know the difference between 10 million is not genocide and one person who was genocide, you didn’t care; but because Kukah is a famous person.
“Secondly, in the course of Kukah’s statement, he must have stepped on toes. So, people now shouted and say “hey, hey, hey,” we’ve gotten him, he has done wrong now,” he explained.
Rev. Hayab also cited example of himself: “I have told people that even I almost got blackmailed because of that. Because on one occasion, some people came. I was called to do that. I was comfortable.
“And they asked me a question. I started by saying fortunately for me, they first asked me and they wanted to claim that they’ve gone around and they realized that there’s no point.
“Then I responded by saying, “No,” if anybody said here that there’s no killing of Christians, it’s not honest, and I explain thoroughly. But as we say, Christians are being killed; we have to also acknowledge that Muslims are also being killed. But there are conversations around this killing that is misleading.
“So, if I have fallen victim of that, I know how popular Kukah is; his own would have being worst. So, there are others,” he stated.
On Benue, Rev Hayab said the Government of the Benue State has its own statement, “But, you see, the Government of the Benue State is speaking as a political leader. I’m not going to judge him, for political reasons.
“And everybody knew what was going on at that time. It’s like, “Oh!, you are in this government and they are saying Christians are being killed. Are you going to protect this government or are you also saying they are being killed.
“Then he admits, but listen to his language, that killing is going on but it is not against Christians. So, it’s just a political way of addressing certain scores. So, I don’t think we need to magnify this kind of hero.”
Earlier, the Chairman, however, called for stronger and collective unity, assuring that terrorism will be weaken 80 percent, if the terror group knows that both Christians and Muslims are genuinely united against their senseless killing activities.
“We may not carry weapons to go against the terrorists, but when the terrorists know that, if they hit me (Rev. Hayab), my brother, Alhaji Abdurrahman, will be very angry. If they also hit Abdurrahman, I, Rev. Hayab, I will be angry, and if they hit us, our government will not stop until they fish them out, the senseless killing will stop.
“They will know the game is over. What has been happening is that the terrorists came and chose the pattern of divide and rule, and all of those are played into their hands. So, once they kill me, someone will just say they are killing them; likewise the other way.
“The day they know we are together, their war will be weakened by more than 80%. But in divisiveness, they can easily be following us one after the other, and they will wait for people like Trump to tweet, then we’ll be arguing,” he stated.
According to him, terrorists are supposed to be seen by all as enemies of Nigeria, our citizens and that of our fellow brothers, and should no reasons for argument if they’re killed by our solders or United States of America military.
“It’s not supposed to be arguing. We are supposed to just say, these are enemies of our fellow brothers, enemies of Nigeria, enemies of our citizens. We must fight them.
“That’s why I actually do celebrate the kinds of attitude I have seen coming – the security agencies, at least for once we are beginning to see them seeing it as a problem. Because what has been making the job not easy in the past, they see it as they are the owners of it.
“But we victims and the security people are the same. Because they are killing them, they are killing us. Look, if we cannot fight the terrorists for anything, we cannot fight them for killing our police, for killing our soldiers, for killing Brigadier-General Ubah.
“If I complain as a Christian that they are killing my people, I am not in any way disputing they are killing me. I am only saying there is fire in my house.
“If there is also fire in your house, then let’s tell Fire Service to come to my house and go to your house so that there will be no more fire. I think that’s our approach, and we want to vigorously pursue that.
“This year that we’ve entered, you know, is the year of election. We are already knowing that some people will, for deliberate reasons, come up with defensive strategies. So, the kind of program we want to do is to refuse divisions, to focus on collective effort to defeat our enemy.
“Nigeria must not allow division, but focus on how we can defeat our enemy. And once we do that, honestly, we will work hard.
“Who becomes president will depend on the effort he put in campaigning, in convincing Nigerians about the kind of service delivery that he wants to do.
“Yes, we are already aware from security understanding that there is a deliberate ploy by terrorists, either being sponsored locally or internationally, to further create problems in northern Nigeria by going after Christians in states like Niger, Kwara, Kogi and others, to stir-up the problem.
“And we have to warn our people that, look, we will not be divided by the action, not be divided. We will only remind our citizens and government that, look, step up your fight and defeat this enemy. Because, if one life is lost in Nigeria, life of Nigerian is lost.
“I’m not a Muslim, but let me tell you what a Muslim used to tell me. I don’t know, if they are not telling me what is right, but I believe them: they used to say that, according to the holy Qur’an, “If you kill one man, it’s like you’ve killed every humanity.”
Overly, he said conclusively that God in His infinite mercy has put everybody where they belong, adding that “Whether anybody likes it or not, nobody will run away for another person to take over.”
He recalled the attack in church in Owo, where they distributed relief materials to victims of bandit attacks’ households after that of 1,000 households in the Middle-Belt zones prior to Christmas, and promised to continue to work and serve the humanity, urging leadership to leave up to expectations of the led.
On Mr. Victor Solomon, popularly known as Zidane, who has been convicted and sentenced to death by High Court in Kaduna, Hayab prayed, “I believe that it will not be long the story of Zidane will be different; he will get out. Not getting out because of someone, but because the facts are clear.”