Politics
CAN warns Malami against arrest, prosecution of Adeboye, Kumuyi, others
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has warned the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), against going through with the threat to prosecute prominent men of God like the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye and the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, among others, over a breach of the Twitter ban in the country.
The AGF had, on the heels of the suspension of the micro-blogging site, vowed to arrest and prosecute any Nigerian who violates the ban, no matter how highly placed.
Shortly after, Adeboye, Kumuyi, and other prominent men of God like the Senior Pastor of the Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos, Nigeria, Pastor Sam Adeyemi and the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, went ahead to use the platform, citing the United Nations charter of international freedom of press.
Reacting to the violation, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday, insisted that the AGF had the prerogative and the authority to prosecute anyone in the country as far as the ban violation is converned.
Read also: Lai Mohammed insists Adeboye, Kumuyi can be arrested, prosecuted for violating Twitter ban
However, in a statement by Adebayo Oladeji, the Special Assistant on Media to the President of CAN, Dr Samson Ayokunle, warned the AGF and Federal Government against carrying out the threat as it would not augur well for the country in the long run.
“We caution the Federal Government against carrying out its threats against those highly respected leaders.
“What they did was justified after all they run churches with global outlook and they made it clear in their position.
“If they (government) carry out the threat, it will only compound problems in the country.
“Any government policy that suspends the fundamental rights of the citizens is not acceptable to us.
“The government should rise up to the menace of insecurity facing the country without harassing the innocent and elder statesmen.”
By Isaac Dachen…
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