The Dunamis Gospel Centre and the Christian Association of Nigeria have pledged to assume the responsibility of training the children of Pastor Lawan Andimi, as well as relocate the family from the Northeast to a safer environment, to shield them from the trauma, inflicted on them by Boko Haram terrorists.
Pastor Lawan Andimi was the chairman of CAN in Michika local government area of Adamawa State, who was abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on January 3 and subsequently murdered in a cold blood for refusing to deny his Christian faith.
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, made this pledge in Abuja while addressing a joint press conference with Dunamis International Gospel Centre, US/Nigeria Law Group and other foundations providing assistance to Boko Haram victims to mark second year anniversary of Leah Sharibu in captivity and advance advocacy on the dire security situation in Nigeria.
Represented by his vice, Rev Dr Caleb Ahima, the CAN president, said that the country is degenerating into anarchy.
“We are degenerating to a point of anarchy in this country. It is the responsibility of government to protect lives and property of citizens, but where this seems to have been ignored by those in authorities, we have every reason to passionately tell them that Christians in this country are Nigerians. They are part and parcel of this country and therefore should not continue to be eaten up by this evil that is consuming the people of this great nation, especially the church.
“CAN sat with Mrs Andimi and her family this week and advanced some money to help them and at the same time promised to educate all the children the late Rev left behind, as well as build a house for the family to move them out of their current location because of trauma. We want the world to know the evil that is happening in Nigeria, under the watch of a government that rose to power on the promise that if elected, it will stop the senseless bloodletting in the country, but instead more blood is being shed on a daily basis,” CAN President lamented.
He said that it is a shame that there is a cloud of confusion that hangs over the nation, and the people that are saddled with the responsibility of governing this country seem to be pleased with what is happening.
While tasking the government to live up to its responsibility of protecting citizens, the CAN President observed that Nigeria Constitution provides for freedom of association and freedom of worship.
He said that the Boko Haram terrorists want to establish an Islamic State in Nigeria.
Earlier in his remarks, the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr. Paul Enenche, lamented that there is shortage and bankruptcy of awareness on the dire security situation, high level of religious intolerance and extreme level of persecution of Christians in northern Nigeria.
“Let it be crystal clear that the high level of insecurity and threats to Christianity in Nigeria are real, and urgent measures must be taken to arrest this ogre of violence and existential threats present today. Who in this country, at any level, will be sincere enough to say that all is well with Nigeria? If this is not an emergency with a very calamitous dimension, what are we experiencing? To what extent should it go before people are convinced that the nation is literally been wiped out from the north. All is not well with the country,” he said.
Pastor Enenche assured that for as long as evil has never triumphed over good, and darkness has never quenched light, the activities of terrorists in Nigeria will certainly fail.
On his part, the Founder of Gideon and Funmi Para – Mallam Peace Foundation, warned the political elite in the country not to play politics with release of Leah Sharibu and other Boko Haram captives.
He tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, fulfil his recent promise of ensuring that Leah and other captives are released from terrorist captivity.
(Leadership)
