Fred Ezeh, Abuja

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused the Sultan of Sokoto, His eminence, Sa’ad Abubakar III, of being economical with the truth as regards the endless attacks and perceived persecution of Christians in northern Nigeria.

It insisted that the Sultan was fully aware of the high level of attacks and unfriendly treatment given to Christians by state and non-state powers, but unfortunately, chose to either be silent or did little about it.

CAN said it was painful reading in the media that the Sultan said that there was no case of Christian persecution in the country as the body had alleged that Christians were being killed on daily basis and their landed property confiscated. “It would have been better if the Sultan had remained quiet, the way he did when those killings took place,” CAN said.

CAN, however, justified its claims with a recent report that a Christian lady that lives around Gwoza, Borno State, was kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists on her way to a wedding and summarily executed by the terrorists.

In addition to that it said that a report it received from Borno State Christian Association of Nigeria, indicated that about 10 Christians were kidnapped on their way to Maiduguri for Christmas event. The Muslims among them were set free while eight out of 10 Christians abducted were slaughtered; two ladies were taken away, obviously to be sexually assaulted.

CAN National Director, Legal and Public Affairs, Kwamkur Samuel, in a statement released in Abuja, yesterday, said it was an insult and insensitivity for anyone to claim that the unprecedented persecution of victims, which are well known did not occur.

He added: “It’s also an act of disrespect to the dead. The Fulani atheists took it upon themselves to be killing Christians the way they did in Benue, Southern Kaduna, Plateau and several other places. Will it still not be called Christian persecution? Do the Fulani atheists have the right to kill people the way they did and are still doing in some part of the states?

“If those who were responsible for the genocide in the Middle Belt of the country were Fulani atheists whose main objective was to protect their cattle, what then stopped the Sultan from condemning the unprecedented genocide?”