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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has stated it will hold Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church Pastor Williams Kumuyi responsible for any eventuality at the proposed Aba crusade in Abia State.
The group asked CAN to stop gambling with lives.
It was reacting to the position of CAN to the proposed crusade, which it asked Kumuyi to call off over security concerns.
The group, in a statement from its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful said it was worrisome that CAN was yet to meet expectations o the Christian community but busy playing politics and allowing killing of Christians across the country.
It maintained it would not fold its hands and watch people of the zone slaughtered at the crusade.
The statement reads in part: “We want to be clear in our position to wit; we are not exaggerating over the security situations within the Eastern region of Nigeria.
“We maintain our sincere advice to Pastor William Kumuyi of Deeper Life Ministry on his planned crusade in Aba. This advice must be taken seriously and not ignored because if anything untoward happens to anyone in the said crusade we will hold him responsible.
“CAN must understand that they have not met the expectations of their member and the Christian community in Nigeria. CAN is busy playing politics and allowing Muslim fanatics to slaughter Christians everywhere in Nigeria.
“It is unbelievable that the Christian Association of Nigeria would not summon the courage to fight for their members when Muslims and its security men attack and murder their members.
“They should however understand that IPOB will not fold its hands and watch our people deliberately put in harms way to be slaughtered because of crusade, when they know that politicians will employ their local thugs to slaughter people and tag it that IPOB was responsible for such attack.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria should rather appreciate the genuine advice from IPOB and ESN members for giving pastor Kumuyi a security intel because we are here on the ground in Biafraland. Is CAN saying that insecurity cannot only be curbed with prayers?
“Security intel and strategy are what is required in a situation as this which is what we are applying now by advising Kumuyi and his deeper life ministry. The CAN must understand that IPOB has Judeo-Christians also as family members and it is our responsibility to protect from them political tugs and criminal elements.
“The Christian association of Nigeria is actually missing in action while hundreds of its members are being massacred daily either by the terrorists or by the Nigerian Security apparatus. Just some days back a suicide bomber detonated his suicide belt in a Christian school killing many school children. Where is CAN and what has been its reaction?
“IPOB does not have any issues with Kumuyi or other Pastors or men and women of God for that matter, what we are talking about is the security of Biafrans.
“Nigeria government and its security agencies especially DSS, Army and police will organise criminals, hoodlums and cultists to either attack the crusade venue or attack those going home from the crusade and blame it on IPOB in other to justify their aganda to tarnish our reputation across the world that (yes) IPOB did the attack and the world should designate IPOB terror group, that is what we are running from and we don’t want it to happen.”
He added: “Pastor Kumuyi and the CAN should publicly declare that they should be held responsible if any attack by those recruited by politicians and the Nigerian Security apparatus should happen during this crusade. CAN should stop gambling with people’s lives and Christians should understand that their lives matters.
“CAN should know that all politicians in Nigeria territory have criminal thugs they use to pursue a particular political interest and these people are not minding the repercussions or outcome, therefore we still advise Kumuyi and deeper life ministry to think twice and stop this crusade.
“CAN must be firm in defending the interest of Christians at all times because that is one of its core responsibility. It is however sad to watch them keeping quiet when they are expected to speak on behalf Christians. They become mute over the incessant abduction and killing innocent Christians in Nigeria.
“Most especially the recent murder of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto state. We want to ask can the Christian Association of Nigeria murder any Muslim in Nigeria without a serious reprisal across the country?
“Criminals in the region attacked INEC, Power Holding company, Schools, burial ceremonies, wedding ceremonies and blame it on peaceful IPOB and no media house or politician and Christian leadership will exonerate us because we are Biafrans, we don’t need crusade this time the security situations is very bad in the region. We won’t allow unnecessary waste of lives in territory again.”
