CAN condemns DSS attack on Apostle Suleiman, calls on Osinbajo to speak out

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has vowed to defend Apostle Johnson Suleman, the founder and president of Omega Fire Ministry Worldwide following a foiled arrest by the country’s secret police on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.
CAN also criticised Vice President Yemi Osinbajo saying that his continued silence in the face of attacks on Christians by the Muhammadu Buhari regime was no longer “golden”.
In a statement on Friday, January 27, 2017, the Christian umbrella body in Nigeria described the planned arrest as “an attempt to turn Christians to refugees in their own country”.
“Apostle Suleman has become a refugee in Ekiti state as security operatives are said to be searching every nook and cranny of the state with a view to arresting him,” CAN said.
“If there is an urgent need to interrogate Apostle Suleman on any issue, it would only have been proper to extend a formal or informal invitation to him from the SSS rather than Gestapo approach used in the attempt to arrest him.
“It should be noted that under Nigerian Laws, he is presumed innocent until a court of law proves otherwise. Or have they extended the proposed obnoxious law that forbids religious preaching without the permission of the state governor down south too?
“Treating Ministers of God and our members as common criminals is unacceptable to the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN. Enough is enough,” the association said in its statement signed by the special assistant on media and communication to the CAN President, Bayo Oladeji.
The association lamented the government’s failure to address the cases of blasphemy killings in northern parts of the country, citing repeated cases of released suspects, without further arrests by the security operatives.

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“The police have been releasing those who were arrested for the killing of our members in Kano and Kubwa (Abuja) while our leaders are being subjected to untold hardship for no just cause.
“It is high time the overzealous security agencies knew that Nigeria remains a secular state and any attempt to turn the country into a refugee camp for Christians will not be acceptable and will be resisted with every lawful means,” the statement said.
CAN described the actions of the controversial pastor as a “mere expression of his fundamental right, which every Nigerian is entitled to”.
“The last time we checked, Sections 38-41 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) states clearly that every Nigerian is “entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.
“The Constitution states unambiguously that ‘Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference’.
“Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests:
“Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereby or exit there …,” the statement said.
The association condemned the killings in southern Kaduna, describing it as genocide.

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