Boko Haram Attacks: Adeboye, Oritsejafor, Oyedepo spit fire

A survivor at Madalla on Christmas Day.

Christian leaders led by the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday reviewed Christmas day bomb attacks by Boko Haram sect that killed more than 40 worshippers as they trooped out of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, near Abuja and declared that enough is enough, vowing that Christians would henceforth fight to defend themselves.
In a statement that chronicled several attacks and killings of Christians and destruction of their places of worship, the Christian leaders said: “We have hitherto exercised restraint in our public statements on these matters. However, we cannot continue to do so indefinitely, and are determined that in the year 2012, if these unprovoked attacks continue, and Christians remain unprotected by the security agencies, then we will have no choice but to defend our lives and property and take our own steps to ensure our safety and security”.
The statement was signed by CAN president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor E.A. Adeboye; Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission; Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel; Rev Felix Omobude, Evangelist Uma Ukpai, Rev.(Mrs) Mercy Ezekiel and Pastor Wale Adefarasin.
Also yesterday, the Sultan of Sokoto and spiritual leader of all the Muslims in Nigeria, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, after over two hours  meeting with President Jonathan, decalred:  “There is no conflict between Christians and Muslims, between Islam and Christianity. It is a conflict between evil people and good people and the good people are more than the evil doers. The good people must come together to defeat the evil ones .”
The Christian leaders in their statement yesterday said, “Nigerians awoke on Christmas morning to the news that Boko Haram had struck again, this time they had bombed St Theresa’s Catholic church in Madalla, near Abuja with the loss of up to 40 lives, including children. As the day progressed reports that four other bombs targeting Christians had exploded in Jos and Yobe State, casualty figures were not yet available at the time of writing.

“We are deeply concerned that Boko Haram sect members and their apologists continue to wage war against Christians, in furtherance of their Islamisation agenda, especially Christians in the North Eastern states where Boko Haram members first unleashed their terror.
The terrorist group in their media ranting claim that they unleashed violence on innocent Nigerians in reprisal for the killing of their leader, Yussuf. It was in fact Yussuf that orchestrated and inspired the killing of no fewer that 800 persons, mostly Christians, when it unleashed its first major act of unprovoked sectarian violence in Maiduguri in July 2009.
“We note with dismay that public condemnation of the atrocities committed by Boko Haram have come mainly from members of the Christian community. We believe that when Muslim clerics, political leaders and leaders of thought from Northern Nigeria publicly condemn and denounce the activities of Boko Haram it will go a long way to quelling this threat to our future peaceful coexistence.

Source: Vanguard