The Christian bodies across the country yesterday protested the gruesome killing of Miss Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto over alleged “blasphemy” of Islam and Prophet Muhammad, SAW.
The stakeholders, who reacted to the killing, opined that Nigeria is a secular state and as such both Christians and Muslims must learn to live together in peace.
They include the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Methodist Church of Nigeria, The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Foursquare Gospel Church among others.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God called on the Executive, Legislature and Judiciaries to intervene and not allow the situation to degenerate to chaos.
Speaking during the protest at the National Headquarters of the Church in Lagos, Assistant General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Johnson Odesola said that Nigeria is a secular country and not a religious country.
Odesola said that based on what he heard, what the lady said does not warrant taking her life, “the life of human being must be preserved and we must live together as one irrespective of religion or faith. As Christian, we are taught to be gentle, and as a lawyer, I know that our law makes provisions for self-defence, but we shouldn’t let it get to the level where Christians will be forced to defend. We need to show love.
“If people from the North can come here to build a mosque, why can’t we do the same? People should not put their partner to do what they don’t suppose to do, so we believe we must live together in love and harmony because Christianity is not violence.
He said the protest was limited to church premises in order not to stair up violence
He said that except the country is restructured the country may not progress, “yes we are the same but the way and manner we think are not the same, so what I felt we should do for peace to reign is to restructure because we are for peace and not for war.
“In a civilized and matured country, the court is supposed to protect and uphold integrity but that is not happening. So, our judiciary also needs to do the needful because they are not doing it the way they are supposed to do it.
He added that the Sokoto State government is not responding to the situation the way he supposed, “I heard what the governor is saying which is not encouraging at all maybe because of his political ambition.”
Corroborating his views, Assistant Pastor in Charge of Parish, National Headquarters, Pastor Adebayo Adeyemo appealed to Christians not to take laws into their hands even as he called on the government to ensure justice prevailed.
“We know that some of our Muslims brothers are tolerant but they should not allow the few bad eggs to tarnish their image.”
Vanguard