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Tag: Sunday Ibrahim

  • Kaduna CAN urges Christians, Muslims to shun religious bigotry

    Kaduna CAN urges Christians, Muslims to shun religious bigotry

    The Christian Association of Nigeria( CAN ), Kaduna Chapter, has urged Muslims and Christians to shun religious bigotry so as to  make Nigeria a greater country in the comity of nations.

    The Secretary of the chapter, Rev. Sunday Ibrahim, made the call when he received gift items donated by some  advocates of inter-faith harmony led by Hajiya Maryam Abubakar in Kaduna on Tuesday.

    He commended the initiative of Hajiya Maryam and her colleagues, saying that it would go a long way toward promoting religious harmony in Kaduna State in particular and the entire country.

    “We are really grateful seeing Muslim women coming to the CAN’s  Secretariat to donate Christmas gifts.

    “This is really impressive and these are some of the ways to boost religious tolerance and better understanding between Muslims and Christian.

    “ We must join hands together in tackling religious extremism and promote forgiveness, peace and unity among all the people of Nigeria,” he said.

    Read also: Gowon, Dogara task Northern Christians on unity, love

    Earlier, a group of Muslim women under the aegis of ‘Ambassadors of Peace’ donated gifts including Christmas trees and Santa Claus caps to CAN in the spirit of the yuletide season.

    Speaking at the presentation of the items, Abubakar said the donation was part of their contribution toward promoting peace, harmony, love, togetherness and inter-religious tolerance in a multi-religious society such as Kaduna State.

    Abubakar said their visit to the CAN secretariat was aimed at strengthening inter-religious tolerance and promoting understanding among adherents of  different faiths in the state.

    The peace ambassador said: “We are from one family under God because Adam and Eve were our original biological parents and we, as Muslims believe in the Bible and love Jesus Christ too.

    “Christmas season is a period of joy and happiness to every Christian all over the world and we, as Muslims decided to donate some Christmas trees and Father Christmas caps to CAN leaders in the state.

    “This is to promote good relationship with our neighbours in view of the fact that Christians are our good friends and neighbours.”

    According to her, it is not the first time she and her colleagues are donating Christmas gifts to churches in Kaduna for the purpose of enhancing religious tolerance and peace building.

    “Two years ago, we fed about 500 Christian inmates in the spirit of Christmas and New Year celebration in Kaduna prison.

    “We fed them in the spirit of togetherness and to join them in celebrating the birth of our noble Jesus Christ.

    “We want them to have a good taste of food with beef different from what they were offered inside the prison,” she added.

    In her remark, another member of the group, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani said: “Christians are our best friends and we choose to come to CAN to donate these items this time because we believe that CAN is the mother of all Christian bodies.

    “We came today to say `Merry Christmas to all our brothers and sisters who are  Christians all over the world, and Happy New Year in advance.

    “We want to maintain this kind of peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims in the state in order for us to team up and  nd all forms of ethno-religious and political crises bedevilling peace and stability in the northern part of the country.”

    She also advocated the establishment of an institute of comparative religious studies which, according to her, can proffer solutions to ethno-religious crises in the country.

    NAN

  • Court remands men over car theft

    Court remands men over car theft

    Two men – Sunday Ibrahim and Abdulwahab Usman, were on Tuesday arraigned in a Minna Magistrates’ Court, over alleged attempt to steal a car.

    The defendants, however, denied the 3-count charge of criminal conspiracy, attempt to commit an offence and mischief levelled against them.

    Magistrate Fati Auna ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case until Oct.16 for further mention.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Emmanuel Danladi, had told the court that one Ogbodo Afam of Tunga Minna, reported the matter at the police station on Sept. 30.
    Danladi quoted the complainant as alleging that on the same date at about 5:35p.m, the accused persons damaged his car in the process of attempting to steal it from where he parked it at Maitumbi area.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 97, 95 and 327 of the Penal Code.

    The prosecutor thereafter prayed the court for an adjournment as investigation into the matter was still ongoing.

  • CAN urges Kaduna govt. to reopen tertiary institutions

    Rev. Samson Ayokunle, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has urged the Kaduna State Government to re-open tertiary institutions closed down because of the violence in southern Kaduna.

    Ayokunle made the call on Thursday in Kafanchan, when he visited Southern Kaduna to donate relief materials, worth N8 million, to victims of the lingering violence.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the three tertiary institutions in the area – the Kafanchan campus of the Kaduna State University, the College of Education, Gidan-Way, and College of Nursing, Kafanchan were shut down last year.

    The institutions had since remained closed, while the 2016/2017 session is already coming to an end in institutions located in other parts of the states.

    But Ayokunle, who expressed surprise that the schools were still closed down, advised government to open them and ensure adequate protection for the students.

    The CAN President called for urgent measures to end the violence, saying that Nigeria would not have peace until people of southern Kaduna and other crisis-ridden parts in the country had peace and justice.

    “I appeal to the Kaduna State Government to re-open the institutions. What the government can do is to ensure more security so that students are protected.

    “Nigeria will not have peace until people of southern Kaduna, and other areas invaded by herdsmen in the country, had their peace,” he said.

    He said that the visit was to share in the grief of the victims of the violence.

    “We came here to show our deep concern over your predicament; we know what you people are passing through. We may not have much to give you physically, but you are not alone in this situation.

    “I appeal to the government to ensure an end to the attacks by herdsmen on Southern Kaduna and other parts of the country. Government must act swiftly,” he said.

    Ayokunle also urged government to repair Churches and houses that were burnt down during the crisis, while also ensuring that the culprits were brought to book.

    He also urged government to disarm the herdsmen accused of killing natives, and prosecute those found to be involved in the killings.

    The CAN President praised the security agencies for the efforts to end the violence, but challenged them to understand that they would be held responsible if the violence persisted.

    He also advised the security men against restricting their activities to roadblocks along the highways, while the hinterlands were being attacked.

    Ayokunle said that security men must be sincerely committed to ending the violence, and cautioned them against  looking the other way when evil was going on.

    Earlier, the CAN Secretary, Kaduna State, Rev. Sunday Ibrahim, had described the visit as a morale booster, and described it as “very great significance to the Southern Kaduna people”.

    Ibrahim urged government to ensure security to farmers to enable return to the farms so as to feed the people.

    He urged the victims to remain hopeful, and cautioned against reprisal attacks.

    “The Bible is clear here. Vengeance is the Lord’s. He is all knowing and shall intervene at the right time,” Ibrahim said.

  • CAN to police: you’re creating conflict

    CAN to police: you’re creating conflict

    •’It’s not true’

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State has accused the police of trying to create a religious crisis, following the invasion of a church on Sunday during service.

    The police in Jere, Kagarko Local Government, were said to have invaded a church on Sunday in search of Ayuba Daro Kakaraka, who was allegedly involved in the attack on the Emir of Jere, Dr. Sa’ad Usman, on January 3.

    CAN Secretary Rev. Sunday Ibrahim condemned the disruption of service at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Issah Makaranta.

    “I wish to condemn the unacceptable invasion of ECWA Church in Issah Makaranta on Sunday.

    “The police came to the church, shooting indiscriminately. All this was under the cover of looking for a suspect.

    “Thank God that one of the policemen, who was apprehended by the youths, has been released to the Army.

    “The pastor, Rev. Ibrahim Ejims, was harassed and dragged out for questioning.

    “We do not know who they are doing this to please, but we condemn this act.

    “We are briefing our lawyers over this matter.

    “If by the end of this week, the police do not write us an apology letter, we shall interpret it as a declaration of war on Christians in Issah.”

    Reliving the ordeal, Ejims said: “When the church secretary finished taking the announcement, I mounted the podium to preach the sermon.

    “Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, armed policemen just barged into the church.

    “Members scampered for safety because we also heard gun shots outside.

    “In fact, there was a stampede and some children were hurt. In no time, the church was deserted. I was confused.

    “I came outside and saw that the youths engaged some of the policemen in a fight. A policeman was caught.

    “I pleaded for his release and begged that he should not be maltreated. It was a rowdy scene.

    “After a while, some soldiers came with some policemen. One of the policemen had a horsewhip. He threatened to flog me, if I didn’t tell them where his colleague was.

    “They came in seven trucks and parked on the church premises.

    “The village head of Issah, who is also the church treasurer, approached them, and pleaded that they should not harm me and that he can trace where the policeman was taken to.

    “They left me, and eventually found the youths, who handed over the policeman and his rifle.

    “I believe that their action was just to terrorise us. If not so, why could they not inform me of their intention, and wait till after the service?

    “If they are actually looking for a suspect, don’t they know his home and other places he visits? I believe that the police are being used for a religious war.”

    But the Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Adenaike, denied the claim.

    He said his men never stepped into any church and therefore could not have disrupted any service.

    “We cannot enter a church or mosque to stop anyone from praying,” he said.

    Adenaike phoned the Jere Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Abubakar Mohammed Sani, to give his version of the story. He put the phone on speaker.

    The DCO said: “We were informed about the presence of a suspect, Ayuba Daro Kakaraka, in his house. So we went in two cars and our operational van behind us.

    “When he sighted us, he ran into a church. That was what caused the panic.

    “Some youths later came for us, and we ran. But one of us was apprehended.

    “Thankfully, the elders intervened and we secured his release. But no policeman stepped into any church,” he said.