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  • CAN president to Nigerians: Let’s pray for national healing during Lent

    CAN president to Nigerians: Let’s pray for national healing during Lent

    As Christians across Nigeria mark Ash Wednesday, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, on Wednesday called on Nigerians to use the Lenten season as a time for reflection, sacrifice, and national healing.

    Okoh in a statement he personally issued extended prayers and goodwill to all Nigerians, regardless of faith, urging them to embrace the spirit of Lent as an opportunity for renewal and unity amid the country’s ongoing challenges.

    “Lent is a 40-day journey of sacrifice, prayer, and charity, echoing the time Jesus Christ spent fasting in the wilderness. For us in Nigeria, this season arrives amid challenges—rising living costs, insecurity, and daily struggles to put food on the table. Yet, Lent calls us to hope, urging us to look beyond our hardships and draw strength from faith and community,” he said.

    Addressing Nigerians from different walks of life, including traders, farmers, teachers, students, and transport workers, the CAN President encouraged everyone to use this season to reflect on what truly matters. He called for a spirit of generosity, reconciliation, and shared sacrifice as the country navigates economic and social difficulties.

    “As Nigerians, we understand sacrifice and endurance. Lent resonates with the patience of mothers stretching meals, the courage of fathers toiling under the sun, and the faith of children praying for a brighter future,” he stated.

    Archbishop Okoh also urged prayers for national leaders, emphasizing the need for wisdom, compassion, and justice in governance. He called on citizens to rise above division and work towards a united Nigeria where dignity and peace prevail.

    “I urge Christians to approach this Lenten season with sincerity and invite all Nigerians—regardless of creed—to join in this spirit of renewal. Let us pray for our leaders to govern with wisdom and compassion, for our youth to find purpose and opportunity, and for ourselves to rise above division and build a nation we can all be proud of,” he said.

    Read Also: Nigeria will regain its position in comity of nations – CAN President

    The CAN President concluded by asking for divine blessings upon Nigeria and its people, expressing hope that this Lenten season would mark the beginning of a transformative journey for the nation.

    Lent, observed by millions of Christians worldwide, is a period of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving leading up to Easter. It serves as a time for spiritual renewal, self-examination, and deeper faith commitments.

    As the nation embarks on this sacred season, Archbishop Okoh’s message serves as a reminder that unity, faith, and perseverance remain crucial in overcoming Nigeria’s challenges.

  • Atilade will be greatly missed, says CAN President, others

    President of The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev Supo Ayokunle has said the contribution of the late South West Chairman of the body, Archbishop Magnus Atilade to the body of Christ in Nigeria and abroad will be greatly missed.

    Ayokunle, in a condolence message at the deceased’s residence in Surulere, Lagos last week, described him as a great leader with a good heart.

    Atilade died on January 11 after a brief illness at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

    Ayokunle, who came in company of some executive members of CAN in Lagos, wrote: “We give glory to God for the lifetime of Arch Bishop Magnus Atilade and his contribution to Christendom in Nigeria and abroad. We will miss him.”

    He prayed the comfort of the Holy Spirit will uphold his church, and family.

    Lagos State Chairman of CAN, Apostle Alex Bamgbola, who extoled the virtues of the late Archbishop, said: “Baba Archbishop Atilade fought a good fight for the Lord. He ran and finished his race. He has received his crown in heaven”.

    According to him: “On behalf of the entire CAN Lagos state, I write to thank God almighty for a life well spent for God. Papa Archbishop Professor Magnus Atilade”.

    Former Senior Special Assistant to Governor of Lagos State on Christian Religious Matters, Rev (Mrs.) Funmi Braimoh, applauded efforts of the late Archbishop.

    She wrote: “Great soldier of Christ, You fought gallantly and achieved so much for the body of Christ in Lagos state.

    “You gave CAN its present befitting status. Through your influence, we started well, may heaven reward you”.

    Episcopal Vicar Lagos Region Archdiocese of Lagos, St. Anthony Catholic Church, Rev Bernard Okodua, who eulogised Atilade as a true disciple, stating “well done for your faithfulness to God and humanity. CAN will never forget you.”

    A prominent activist of the National Democratic Coalition, (NADECO), Ayo Opadokun, wrote: “You are embodiment of robust and ideological consistency social critics among the left.

    “Your courageous, regular integration of Nigeria has been halted by your transition to the heavenly address.”

  • 2019: Avoid voting desperate politicians into office -CAN president

    Rev. Samson Ayokunle, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), on Monday urged Nigerians to avoid desperate politicians by voting only credible candidates in 2019.

    Ayokunle made the remarks while briefing newsmen after a meeting with representatives of 14 Presidential Candidates in Abuja, on their plans for Nigerians and the church.

    He said that the church decided to reach out to the stakeholders and the presidential candidates to ask them their credentials for aspiring to the highest position in the country.

    According to him, the church cannot keep quite in this situation because the church can only prosper when a nation prospers. If the 2019 election is not free and fair all Nigerians will be in trouble including the church.

    The cleric who expressed disappointment over the desperation of politicians towards the 2019 general elections said the motive for the meeting should not be taking for granted, adding that the security of Nigerians was paramount.

    He urged the Independent Electoral Commission, (INEC), the Nigeria Army, the Police and other security agencies to abide by electoral rules to avoid crisis during and after the election.

    “I spoke with President Muhammadu Buhari and he told him that when we conducted the 2015 elections people didn’t expect it to be so free and fair but the way it was conducted gave us a sense of pride in the international community.

    “If the 2019 election is not better, if the police are not better behaved, if the army is not better behaved, if INEC is not better behaved the entire election process might be a failure.

    “If politicians are not better behaved and they show desperation, it will be a failure. We are again warning politicians.

    “The desperation we saw at the intra-party election is given us concern. If they can be so desperate and they end up fighting what will they do when they contest with opposition, the desperation is too much, “he said.

    The CAN President urged Nigerians to beware of Jobless politicians whose job description is politics adding that such people should not be allowed to contest for any position.

    “Leading Nigeria is a sacrifice. Why do you want to lead by force. Go and rest you do not need to destroy the entire land,” he said.

    Ayokunle said that any politician that would want to lead Nigerians by all means should be regarded as a suspect.

    On the electoral amendment, Ayokunle said:”The executive and legislature need to work together. When there is crisis between them like this, what they need to do is to put themselves together as partners in progress.”

    He added that there should be a mutual understanding as they cannot afford to play with the future of Nigerians.

    The cleric however said that everything that should be done must be done to make sure that the 2019 election is free and fair.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that those at the forum were the former governor of Anambra State and Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi.

    Others include: the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amechi, who represented the All Progressives Congress (APC) , the former Minister of Education Obi Ezekwesili who is the presidential candidate of the Allied Congress party of Nigeria, (ACPN) among others.(NAN)

  • Jos crisis: CAN President calls for calm

    President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev. Samson Ayokunle has appealed to the people of Jos to remain calm following an outbreak of violence in the city.

    Ayokunle called on the Federal Government to intervene to restore peace to the Plateau by bringing perpetrators to justice.

    The CAN president, who spoke at the First Christian Leaders Roundtable Summit organised by Legacy Initiative International in Lagos, said: “For the situation in Jos, I am appealing for calm in the midst of all these destructions. I received calls that there were shootings overnight and many youths were killed over a missing ex-soldier.

    “I heard his car was found in a pond in Jos, but I don’t know how that was interpreted to be the handiwork of Christians.

    “I think security agencies should have been allowed to do their jobs instead of killing innocent people in retaliation. The government must do everything to keep peace in the country and bring the murderers in our midst to book.”

    According to the clergy, Nigerians, irrespective of ethnicity or religion, should continue to cohabit in unity and love to foster the country’s socio-economic and political development.

    Ayokunle said CAN would train 300 Electoral Observers at N12 million to monitor the 2019 elections.

    “Fifty people will be trained from each region, who will in turn train others. Our plan is to deploy three observers in each polling unit and we have already applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for observer status.

    “INEC on its part must strive to remain an impartial umpire because what we have seen in the Ekiti and Osun elections leaves much to be desired, following complaints of intimidation, vote buying and violence,” Ayokunle added.

  • Defend yourself against attacks, CAN tells Christians

    CHRISTIAN Association of Nigeria (CAN) President Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle has called on Christians to defend themselves against killings and attacks by herdsmen, Boko Haram insurgents and other militia groups.

    He urged Christians to go into politics, insisting that the country needs believers, who would see leadership as serving the nation.

    Rev. Ayokunle, who is also Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) President, spoke at Rivers Baptist Conference International Campground at Ndele in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State at the weekend during a pre-convention news conference.

    It was part of the activities lined up for the 105th annual meeting of the NBC, tagged: “Moving forward, building a great nation through effective Christian participation”.

    He said: “Lawyers have been speaking that the issue of self-defence is constitutional and also in commonsense, which may not be common, because if you see somebody coming with dangerous weapon to kill you and you say it is not constitutional to defend yourself, then you must be ready to lose your life.

    “It is commonsense that you defend yourself from danger that is coming, but if you think it is not good to defend yourself, good luck. Do not be naive. If the marauders appear to be more powerful than the government and they cannot save us from them, then we must save ourselves.

    “For about nine years, these people have continued to kill and it appears like they have more guns and tactics than the security agents to be able to continue. How many of them have been arrested? How many of them have been prosecuted? Then, if I allow them to take my life, I will be responsible for my foolishness.”

    The CAN president, who also added that there are 15,000 Baptist churches in Nigeria, stressed that the theme of the annual convention was crucial to Nigerians at this time, having been ruled by different administrations and people – from the colonial masters to civil rule to military and back to civil rule.

    He said: “We have been experiencing one pain or another from one administration to another. Many analytical minds in the country know that Nigeria is like a crippled giant, because we have not been able to fully appropriate the potential, which God has given to us.

    “The pain of the nation is that of lack of task-oriented leaders. Leaders that are selfless and compassionate. Leaders that are ready to sacrifice and are committed to nation-building are lacking in this nation.

    “We have been ruled by the wicked. People, who do not take to their hearts, the people’s welfare. No wonder, over 50 years after independence from colonial rule, we still have dead traps as our roads.

    “When you leave the major roads, you cannot enter any city in Nigeria and be proud of what you see. Taps, which use to flow, when the colonial masters were here (in Nigeria) are no longer functional. Apart from the rulers, those that are ruled are part of the problems, because we have not been able to make our leaders to give account of their stewardship.”

    Rev. Ayokunle called on Christians not to see politics as a dirty game, but to fully participate in politics, to change Nigeria for better.

    He said: “Good Christians have not made themselves available for governance, thinking that politics is a dirty game. If politics is allowed to be a dirty game, we will continue to allow the dirty people to play it. The righteous ones should rise up to deliver the people of this nation from slavery.

    “Nigeria needs people like Moses, who will not fear to face the oppressors in the land. The righteous have to rise up like Daniel to give credible leadership and throw away idolatry from our land. We need men called of God like David, who will build the nation and serve the people, according to the will of God.

    “I am calling and challenging Christians, especially those from my constituency, Baptist in particular, to join politics and give this nation hope, as many of you that are called to go into politics to serve the people, not because you want to eat up the resources of the nation, rather you want to build the nation.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • CAN president to Buhari: Nigeria overdue for restructuring

    CAN president to Buhari: Nigeria overdue for restructuring

    The President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle, has thrown his weight behind those calling for the restructuring of the country.

    It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, in his New Year message, has rejected the quest for restructuring which has polarised the polity over how to go about it.

    Ayokunle who also doubled as the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, yesterday in Abuja at the International Workers’ Retreat of the Convention said, at 57, the country is due for restructuring but said it must be done without fear of favour to all the divides.

    Said he: “There is the need to update how we govern ourselves, thus, re-structuring the nation after 57 years is a welcome development. It must be done without bias or prejudice to religion, ethnicity, class or group affiliation.

    “We must develop our home-grown democracy. The present system is a hybrid of the American and British system. It is not working well for us.”

    He quoted Revelations 21:24-26, “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor (glory) into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.”

    The cleric said it is clear that every nation in the world has her glory adding, “Nigeria is not left out. Our glory is our pride as a nation”.

    According to him, “When we gained independence from Britain in 1960, it was a turning point in our history and a breakthrough for the nation’s glory to burst forth. Our glory shone brighter and brighter after independence as we became the foremost nation in Africa and indeed among the black race.

    “However, at a point, the glory began to fade and we are yet to recover that glory. If we must bring back the glory of Nigeria and rise to more glory as a nation, then effective participation is compulsory for all Christians”.

    CAN President, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant (Media and Communications), Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, and obtained by The Nation disabused the minds of Christians who are avoiding politics as a plague because it is dirty to have a rethink and embrace it if they wanted to make impact on the political scene.

    The CAN boss said: “The practice of separation of State and Church must be redefined. While the State must not be allowed to control the Church, the Church must influence the State through Christians who are in position of power.

    “To get to a position of power, there is need for election especially in a democratic setting like ours. We must be involved in all facets of politics. Politics is not a dirty game as many have come to believe, but those who play politics are the ones who are dirty.

    “For politically conscious people, join a political party, and be a card-carrying member. Register to vote when called to do so by INEC. Participate actively at the ward level of your party, attend meetings, and contribute meaningfully during discussions. Vote and encourage others to vote during election period. Do not stay back at home and watch TV, play football or sleep. Monitor and protect your vote.”

    Speaking further he said, “Sidon look approach will not help us as Christians. Mike Murdock said, ‘Never complain about what you permit’. If we do not participate actively in politics, then we do not have the right to complain about the type of leaders that are presented by political parties to be voted for and voted into various offices”.

    According to him, “This year, God is interested in our nation and us. Throughout the Bible, we see God intervening, leading and instructing men on how to lead their nations. He is urging us as Christians to be involved in the governing process of our nation. Nigeria is at the center of God’s plan for the human race”.

    On the nation building, Ayokunle said, “If nation building in the 21st century is to be successful, the importance of democratic values, civic culture and civil society that develop and sustain them, the importance of increasing social, political, and economic equality, and of human development, rather than just economic development, are key in any successful strategy for long-term democratic nation-building.

    On the ongoing genocide in Benue and Taraba States, the CAN Leader prayed for peace in the areas, he asked God to comfort the bereaved, heal those recuperating in the hospitals and challenged the government and the security agencies to live up to the expectation.

    He said: “Those bloodletting could have been avoided if our political leaders and the heads of the security agencies are alive to their responsibilities. This is why the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been consistently calling on them to live up to the billings.

     

     

    “What is happening in the North-Central of the country is a shame, ungodly, wicked and ungodly. It is high time we stopped it before we are thrown into another needless civil war”.

     

  • Southern Kaduna: Ulama Council seeks arrest of CAN President, senator

    Southern Kaduna: Ulama Council seeks arrest of CAN President, senator

    The Kaduna State Council of Imams and Ulama, on Monday called on the Federal Government to arrest and prosecute those who exacerbated the crisis in Southern Kaduna through inflammatory and false statements.
    The council made its stand known at a press conference in Kaduna addressed by its Chairman, Sheik Abubakar Babantune and Secretary, Aminu Ibrahim.
    It said that the inflammatory utterances of religious and political leaders in the area had led to the “merciless massacre of hundreds of Hausa/Fulani Muslims in the area.”
    The council particularly urged the government to arrest and prosecute Sen. Danjuma La’ah, the senator representing the area, and Sunday Marshal-Katung, a member of the House of Representatives.
    The Imams and Ulamas also listed Rev. Zacahriah Gado of 19 DCC Fellowship, CAN President Samson Ayokunle, CAN Secretary General Musa Asake, John Danfulani, and Solomon Musa, SOKAPU President, for their alleged roles in encouraging killings in the area.
    The council, citing several newspaper publications, accused them of whipping up sentiments through falsehood and encouraging residents to take up arms against each other.
    They blamed the government for failing to punish perpetrators of past crises in the area, who were indicted but allowed to go scot-free.
    The council cited such people to include Zamani Lekwot and five others, who were found guilty and sentenced to death by Justice Okigbo tribunal over the Zangon Kataf crises.
    “The white paper of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Kaduna State Religious Disturbances of 2001 recommended for further investigation and reprimand of Elder Saídu Dogo, Archbishop P.Y.Jatau, Archbishop B.A. Achigili.
    “The white paper on the report of the Federal Government Investigation Panel on the 2011 Election Violence and Civil Disturbances recommended among others for the Police to investigate a History Teacher that slaughtered the father of his student in her presence.”
    The council noted that the crisi had been exacerbated by the mischievous utterances of such political and religious leaders in the area, and said government must put a stop to it.
    “The council is in support of the Federal and Kaduna State Governments in taking any measure legally, to deal with any individual or group of persons,” found promoting further disturbances in the area.
    It called for sustained prayers by all Nigerians of good will to bring the crisis to an end and ensure permanent peace and economic prosperity.

  • El-Rufai faults CAN President on killings

    El-Rufai faults CAN President on killings

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said the killings in Southern Kaduna by suspected herdsmen is pure criminality and has nothing to do with ethnicity and religion.
    Speaking to reporters, the governor faulted the statement by President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Supo Ayokunle, who described the attacks as “religious cleansing”.
    El-Rufai said: “The same Fulani are killing their kinsmen in hundreds in Zamfara State. It has nothing to do with religion or ethnicity. It is pure banditry.’’
    According to the governor, the perpetrators were criminals, adding that “their ethnicity and religion do not matter”.
    El-Rufai pleaded with leaders to be mindful of their utterances and to stop encouraging the people to resort to self-help.
    ‘’Let’s fight the problem. Let’s not bring sentiments, sensationalism and division into it,” he added.
    The governor said his administration set up a committee, led by Gen Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), to investigate the killings.
    He said the committee found out the killings were spill over from the 2011 post-election violence, where Fulani from Cameroun and Niger Republic were killed in Southern Kaduna while returning to their countries.
    ‘’They organised themselves and came back for revenge. A lot of what was happening in Southern Kaduna and Plateau State was from outside Nigeria.”
    El-Rufai said the late Governor Patrick Yakowa sent peace emissaries to some Fulani communities in neighbouring countries ‘’but after his death, the whole thing stopped”.
    He added that his administration continued from where Yakowa stopped, by sending people to explain to the Fulani that ‘’there is a new governor, who is interested in the peace deal”.
    According to the governor, most communities forgave the killing of their relatives after hearing this explanation.
    ‘’There were one or two that asked for monetary compensation for their cattle. We paid,’’ he added.
    The governor said there was peace when these steps were taken ‘’but what is happening now, I don’t want to restrict it to Southern Kaduna, is a case of pure banditry”.
    According to the governor, these renewed killings had nothing to do with the fall- outs of post-election violence.
    ’It was a small problem that started in Ninte, Godogodo, that could have been handled better by the Fulani and community leaders,’’ he said.
    El-Rufai added that the killings in Kaura were triggered by youths, who attacked a police station and killed a Fulani who reported his brother to the police for suspected criminal activities.
    Appealing for restraint, he said: “I am very sad over the loss of life because the burden is on me. I am supposed to defend everyone. We regret the loss of life and property.”

  • ‘Why C&S University is yet to take off’

    The General Overseer of The Sacred Cherubim and Seraphim Church of Nigeria & Overseas, His Eminence, Dr Solomon Ajao, spoke with reporters on the church, the nation and sundry matters. Tosin Adesile was there. Excerpts:  

    Home of the stigmatisation of your members results from practices such as wearing garments and walking bare-footed. Is there a divine mandate to some of these things you do?

    God in His own wisdom humbles the powerful. Before you pass the security checks, you will have to put off your shoes.  It is because we don’t educate people. I can categorically tell you it is not possible for anybody to sleep with shoes. Likewise in the olden days, when you paid a visit to the Obi or Emirs, you didn’t wear shoes to meet them. It’s simply a sin or disrespect.

    There are two major reasons why we don’t wear shoes. We don’t wear shoes because the church is the symbol of the throne of God. In the Bible, when Moses was approaching the burning bush, God told him to stop and remove his shoes because the place he was going was a holy ground. To be frank with you, it is only the Celestial members that don’t wear shoes; we wear shoes but off them at the church entrance.

    The second reason why we don’t wear shoes is because it is a lot more hygienic. The house of God is sacred and we don’t carry any filthy thing inside.

    How about wearing of white garments?

    White garment is a leveller and it is also economical in order to belong to our sect. It is a lot more cost-saving. If you attend the C&S church, it saves you lot of cost on buying clothes.

    What is your reaction to acquisition of private jets by preachers?

    First of all, acquisition of private jets, if the General Overseers are fund managers, if they know economics, they won’t engage in it. It is easier to make use of a chartered aircraft, but the major problem is they are not fund managers.

    But let me point out something. I can say with little doubt that most of the aircraft in question owned by men of God were donated by the people in power. If I happen to be in that position, I will refuse it. If we want to trace history, it was the day President Jonathan visited the CAN President that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor was handed over the key to join the league of private jet owners.

    I once said it that the presentation was made at a wrong place and wrong time. Some of these General Overseers, I would say something is wrong with them. The cost of acquiring a private jet can be used to help members through setting up of an industry. It is wrong for men of God to live affluent lives. I’m not saying they shouldn’t live well but I mean extravagantly. A priest is not expected to live a life that will disconnect him from God.

    How about men of God going into politics?

    Some men of God are really called but they have lost the injunction, according to Romans, that we should not conform to this world. We should be the conscience of the nation, but if you have been spoilt with the largesse of office, I cannot criticise you. I don’t mix up with any of these leaders because I have nothing to gain from them.

     What is the stand of your church on marital failures among preachers?

    This happens because we are in a society without social value. It is not in the interest of the church for us to close our eyes to it but something that we should strongly discourage, but in discouraging it, you have to be a role model.

    But then again, it depends on individual priest; my children, for example, know that if you marry there is no divorce.

     How many same-sex marriages have been conducted in the C&S?

    None and none will be conducted. When you say same-sex marriage, you should ask those promoting it if we are reading the same bible. Is there anywhere in the bible where same-sex marriage is encouraged? You know what the end of Sodom and Gomorrah was. In C &S church, it won’t happen.

    How far have you gone with the unification process in the church? 

    I won’t say we are not making progress but it has been slow. Rome was not built in a day, I quite agree, but Rome should not be built for 100 years. We are now a little closer to forming a United Church because each of us is now sinking our dependence in one church. But then again, we should not run too fast because if we do, there may be a crash.

    Is the church planning to have a tertiary institution?

    We already have a project called Moses Orimolade University (MOU) and the church has acquired an expanse of land in Omu Aran, Kwara State. I can say with pride that I am the chairman of the supervising authority of that project. We have not started our university because we don’t have the “misfortune” of other churches. Why do I say misfortune?  When you say you are a church and you are not building morality into it, you are not a church but a church of Satan and therefore the money that comes our way is not as massive.

    There are 17 conditions that MOU has to meet and we have met 14. What is delaying us is the infrastructure. For us, the university is not a money spinner and so the fees we are going to charge is affordable. We have a focus to tell others that university education is necessary and it should not be an elitist thing.

    Many of these universities charge exorbitant prices and that is beyond the rate of the common man. In other words, that university is not meant for their members but for the children of the elites. We won’t do that at MOU, I can assure you that.

  • Oritsejafor, Falana clash over smuggled $9.3m

    Oritsejafor, Falana clash over smuggled $9.3m

    Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) said yesterday that Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor cannot divorce himself from the smuggling of $9.3m from Nigeria to South Africa ostensibly to buy arms.

    But Pastor Oritsejafor defended his integrity, saying  he knew nothing about the cash, which was taken into South Africa on September 2 in a private jet owned by Pastor Oritsejafor but leased to a company, has been seized by an agency of the South African government. Two Nigerians and an Israeli were ferrying the cash.

    The CAN president has defend his integrity, saying enemies of Christianity were linking him to the deal.

    Falana, in a statement in Lagos, contended that the explanation by CAN that the jet was leased to another company was an admission of the breach of the law.

    According to him, “ a jet registered for the facilitation of evangelism cannot be leased to another company  for commercial purposes  as churches are registered under part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) as  non-profit making organisation.”

    “If Pastor Oritsejafor is lucky that he is not prosecuted for breaching the CAMA, he owes Nigerians a public apology. The CAN leadership cannot afford  to engage in attacking its political opponents in a matter pertaining to the breach of the law,” Falana said.

    The lawyer, who also noted that the Federal Government, was relying on diplomatic resolution of the money laundering case pointed out that such effort will not yield any result.

    “Having not learnt any lesson from the disgraceful case of Chief James Ibori, the Federal Government is currently embroiled in an unnecessary controversy with South Africa over the arrest of two Nigerians and an Israeli for smuggling $9.3 million into that country.

    “The three suspects are alleged to have contravened the provisions of Section 30 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act NO 38 of 2001 of South Africa, which stipulates that a person intending to convey an amount of cash in excess of the prescribed sum of $10,000.00 to or from South Africa ‘must report the prescribed particulars concerning that conveyance to a person authorised by  the Minister for this purpose’.

    “The centre applied for an order of interim forfeiture from a High Court for seizure of the fund. In granting the application, the court ordered that the fund be kept in the Reserve Bank for 90 days. Within that period the suspects are at liberty to convince the court why the fund was not declared. Otherwise, a final order will be made for the confiscation of the money.

    “As  the said sum of $9.3million  was not declared at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the suspects equally breached Section 1 of the Money Laundering Act 2011 of Nigeria which provides  that the transportation of cash or negotiable instruments in excess of $10,000.00 or its equivalent by an individual in or out of the country shall be declared  for the Nigeria Custom Service” which shall report same to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Economic and the Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” he said.

    Pastor Oritsejafor told the National Executive Council meeting of CAN that he was never a party to the movement of the $9.3m cash. “I want to assure you that I will not do anything to tarnish the image of Jesus Christ or compromise the divine standard of the church,” he said.

    “I believe that the primary institution that I owe any explanation to is the church. At the risk of being seen to be defending myself, I wish to confirm to the distinguished leaders of the church that the Bombardier Challenger 601 aircraft in question is mine. The aircraft was presented to me as a gift by members of our congregation and ministry partners worldwide at my 40th anniversary of my call into the ministry.

    “May I be permitted to stress that the aircraft was not given to me by the President of Nigeria, neither was it a settlement for any political favour or patronage.

    “With the benefit of hindsight, the President of the country was a guest in our church during the anniversary celebration when the jet was presented to me.”