The President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has said that granting the Boko Haram Islamist sect will be an act of wickedness.
He said that it is only when the members of the sect have admitted their wrongdoings should they be granted amnesty. He also questioned whether there will be justice for the victims of the sect’s insurgencies if the members are allowed to go free.
Oritsejafor made this remarks while speaking at the 60th birthday celebrations of the President, Apostolic Church of Nigeria, Pastor Gabriel Oladele Olutola in Lagos, where he also warned President Goodluck Jonathan not to toy with Nigeria’s future by trading her security on the altar of politics.
He said, “I don’t know his ambition for second term because I am not a politician; I am a pastor. But that (amnesty) would be wicked. I don’t see why he would have to do that and I don’t see why he would have to consider that because we are facing a very serious situation in Nigeria.
“Let us not turn this situation into politics. Let’s face it for what it is. The security of the people is the number one responsibility of the President. And I think at this point, Jonathan must wake up and just face it and do what he has to do. But these people who are putting pressure on him left and right, may God help them and deliver Nigeria from their hands. Nigeria I believe would be safe.”
He also debunked the claims of some people that the insurgency was fuelled by poverty, querying the source of their funding to acquire arms and why they were attacking only schools and churches and adding that those who claim the insurgency was a result of poverty might have connections with the sect.
He also argued that comparisons could not be made between the Boko Haram insurgency and the Niger-Delta militancy, as the militants fought for their neglect and survival, adding that the Boko Haram leaders should come out and make their grievances known to the public.
“The reality is that you cannot equate those two instances. How many mosques were burnt in Warri or Port Harcourt? Can you tell me one? Young boys didn’t come on the streets to start shooting and killing people in the market. I’m from Warri, the Central Mosque is in the centre of our town. It has been there all these years. Nobody touched it,” he said.
He said northern leaders should have emulated South-South leaders by identifying leaders of the sect and leading them to Jonathan to seek amnesty. He said the amnesty, if declared, would be like putting the cart before the horse.
The CAN boss carpeted Sheikh Abubakar Gumi over his comment on the social networking site, Facebook, that Jesus Christ never died after his crucifixion but only went into a coma. He called on the government to call the Islamic scholar and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nasir El-Rufai, to order over their alleged incitements.