21st May, 2022
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has alerted Christians on alleged plans by some Muslims to take advantage of the protests scheduled for Sunday over recent killing of Deborah Samuel, a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto for alleged blasphemy to cause chaos.
CAN President Rev. Samson Ayokunle had in a letter titled ‘A Request for Nationwide Peaceful Protests, Calling for Justice for Deborah Yakubu,’ directed all Christians including those living in the diaspora to gather on the 22nd of May, 2022 for a peaceful protest over gruesome murder of the student.
The body had indicated that the protest should take place in the afternoon by 3:00 pm in every of its Secretariat nationwide and not on the streets in order to avoid further loss of lives.
It added that in places without CAN Secretariat, Christians may use any church with big premises complimented with traditional and social media to give the protests wide coverage in order to sensitise the whole world.
But in another statement on Saturday, CAN advised its members to limit their protests to their church premises of secretariat in view of alleged counter protests by Muslims.
“You are all aware that some Muslims had sent out information that they were going to counter our peaceful protest on Sunday, May 22.
“Their intention is to cause chaos and attribute it to us. In view of the foregoing, I urge you all to do the protest of placard carrying within the premises of your local churches or your CAN Secretariat.
“However, where it is unsafe to do the protest in the premises of your church or CAN Secretariat, you may carry the placards inside your church and pray for justice for Deborah Samuel who was wickedly and extra judicially slain,” the Association further advised in a statement signed by Ayokunle”
See full statement by CAN below
Deborah Samuel: CAN Restrategizes, Urges Christians to Conduct Protests within Church Premises
You are all aware that some Muslims had sent out information that they were going to counter our peaceful protest on Sunday, May 22.
Their intention is to cause chaos and attribute it to us.
In view of the foregoing, I urge you all to do the protest of placard carrying within the premises of your local churches or your CAN Secretariat.
However, where it is unsafe to do the protest in the premises of your church or CAN Secretariat, you may carry the placards inside your church and pray for justice for Deborah Samuel who was wickedly and extra judicially slain.
Pray as well for a change of heart for the wicked who find it convenient for them to kill their fellow human beings under religious guise.
In all, let the television cover your in-house protest and equally use the social media for the entire world to see.
May the Lord be with us all, His Church in Nigeria and our nation who is in birth pains.
Signed
Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle,
National CAN President
21 May, 2022