CAN denies Muslims protected Christians from attack on Christmas day

THE Kaduna chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have debunked reports alleging that some Muslims protected Christians during church service on Christmas day.

According to reports, Secretary of Kaduna State Chapter of CAN, Sunday Ibrahim who addressed journalists in CAN secretariat on behalf on the association said 'there were no ill feelings against peace advocates but they must be careful of spreading falsehood, adding that there was no single church in Kaduna that faced any attack that warranted protection from the civilian populace within its neighborhood asides the usual security agencies drafted to secure worshippers on Christmas day.'

Dr. Ibrahim said it was necessary for the Christian body to clear the air on the report by some non governmental organisations in the state that Christians in the celebrated the Christians under guide by Muslims.

The CAN secretary said: “It has become imperative for us to clarify this falsehood and confusion in local and international media. Many of our members have been calling and asking question whether Muslims in Sabo area protected a Church from being attack on Christmas day? And we said it is not true, and we don’t want people to create panic and dishing out inciting story.”

“We want to clearly tell the world that there was no any attempted attack on any Church in Kaduna town on Christmas day that warrants some Muslims coming to protect the Church from attackers.

“For clarity, there is no record of any Church in Sabon Tasha, Barnawa and environs out of the over 400 Churches that was protected by Muslims. Sabon Tasha is a 100 percent Christian dominated area, and how will Muslims come from Rigasa and Tudun Wada to protect a Church in Sabon Tasha? Can Christians from Sabon Tasha go to Rigasa or Tudun Wada to keep watch over Muslims faithful in a mosque? On whose supervision and watch, please we should be careful of spreading falsehood in the quest for peaceful coexistence.

“We are not against any peace initiative as we are working with Jama’atu Nasril Islam for peace; however we are not aware of this fabricated story from any Church, security agencies, military, police and the SSS capable of creating confusion.”

On the true story behind the report, Rev Ibrahim said, “What happened was, some Muslims visited a Christian pastor on Christmas day to celebrate Christmas with him but not coming to protect a Church was widely reported, we are begging the media to always verify their facts and we are by this informing Christians to be calm because no single Church was threatened on Christmas day.”