The Kaduna state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has raised an alarm about fundamentalists using blasphemy as a pretext to target and persecute Christians in the Northern region of the country.
Reacting to the riot in Bauchi state over alleged blasphemy, the state CAN Chairman Rev. John Joseph Hayab expressed concern that some allegations of blasphemy were false and used for blackmail or settling scores, especially targeting well-mannered young girls who have refused sexual advances by individuals from another religion.
“Allegations of blasphemy have now become the new excuse by fundamentalists in Northern Nigeria to kill those who have not yet been targeted by bandits and terrorists.
“How can you justify what happened in Sokoto, the allegation in Borno, the fake allegation against Babachir Lawal by one individual who made blasphemous remarks about Jesus Christ but quickly retracted it to falsely accuse Babachir Lawal, and now we are witnessing another carnage in Bauchi under the pretext of blasphemy.
Hayab further questioned the popularity of recent sermons from some Islamic clerics about the handling of blasphemy accusations, emphasizing the need for government authorities and security agencies to address this misuse of the constitution to prevent further conflicts.
The CAN Chairman urged government and security agencies to enforce the law against murderers using religion to justify their actions, asserting that the brutal targeting of followers based on blasphemy is unacceptable to CAN and all Christian faithful.
Rev. Hayab also appealed to Christian leaders and parents to guide their children against provocative actions that could be exploited by fundamentalists, and called for intensified teachings by religious leaders on the consequences of taking the law into their own hands and resorting to violence.
He emphasized the importance of reporting alleged offenders to security agencies or bringing them to a competent court for legal proceedings, stating that Nigeria should be governed by the rule of law.