GROUP TO SULTAN: You’re either a liar or an ‘accomplice’ to claim Christians not being persecuted in Nigeria

The Nigeria Christian Graduate Fellowship (NCGF) has criticized the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, for his comment that Christians were not being persecuted in Nigeria.

The sultan, who was reacting to the inclusion of Nigeria in the United States’ list of countries with violation of religious freedom, had said “It is a lie to say Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria.”

Abubakar, who is the President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs had also criticised the Christian Association of Nigeria for endorsing the placement of Nigeria on the Special Watch List.

Reacting, the fellowship said the Sultan was being economical with the truth, noting that he had always been mute over the decimation of Christian communities in the North by Islamic fundamentalists.

In a statement on Friday, NCGF said the Muslim leader cannot fault the research by CAN and its allies on Islamic fundamentalism in Nigeria, noting that “there exists quantum documentary evidence of the murderous acts of Muslims against Nigerian Christians.”

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The fellowship in the statement signed by its National President, Prof Charles Adisa and General Secretary, Onyenachi Nwaegeruo, said it expected the Sultan to address the persecution of Christians instead of flaying CAN.

It said, “We thought the Sultan should address the subject matter of the international opprobrium which Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen have brought to the nation rather than make a scapegoat of the Christian Association of Nigeria.

“Or is his Eminence contesting that there is no religious intolerance in Nigeria? If that is his position, we can say that the Sultan is being economical with the truth or is an accomplice.”

The group said it was embarrassed by the attitude of the sultanate, “an institution that has kept mute over the serial decimation of Christian communities in the North.”

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