ABUJA— Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, yesterday, demanded that the Department of State Services, DSS, tendered a written apology to four members, Board of Trustees of CAN Trustfund who were detained on the orders of its director-general.

Director of Legal and Public Affairs in CAN, Kwamkur Samuel, in a protest letter to the Director-General of DSS, obtained by journalists, in Abuja, reiterated the body’s commitment to dialogue on any issue for peace to reign in the country. Kwamkur said DSS should be more circumspect in dealing with the Body of Christ in Nigeria, if not for any other reason, but to ensure and promote the confidence of the average Nigerian Christian in the government of the day.

Definition of Terms:

Muslim – An individual who practices Islam as a religion.

Islamist/Islamism – A Muslim who practices Islam as a political ideology that holds that Islam is not only a religion, but also a political system that must dominate the society (Political Islam); antithetic to Democracy.

1. Political Party is defined as “organized group of people who believe a country should be run in a certain way”; thus the Islamists (political Islam) in Nigeria want Nigeria to be a Sharia compliant country while non-Islamists (Christians, tolerant Muslims, and other groups) want Democracy.  Before 1975, Nigeria was a Democracy that became a dictatorship in 1966 with the First Military Coup.  After the Civil War, Nigeria was to return to Democracy but this was truncated by the Murtala Mohammed’s coup of 1975.  Although Nigeria became a Democracy between 1979 and 1983 under President Shehu Shagari, the coup of 1983 returned the country to Military rule for 20 years (1979 – 1999). 
2. During this period, attempts were made to marry Democracy and Sharia in various Military Decrees that culminated in the 1979 Constitution and later the 1999 Constitution.  This marriage has led to the Conflict of Ideologies (Democracy versus Sharia) in the Constitution and become the bane of Nigeria’s instability resulting in a system of “us” (Islamists) and “them” (non-Islamists) and the prosecution of Jihads both stealth/civilization and conventional Jihad such as Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen.
3. From 1975 to 1999, only stealth Jihad was employed by the Islamists in government who occupied positions to change things with the use of Military Decrees and force.  After the coup of 1975, the follow-up purge in the Public Service constituted a complete destruction of a democratic institution – the Public Service and was filled with half-baked Local Government officials, mostly Muslims from the North, who were recruited as first step to Islamist stealth or civilization Jihad in Nigeria.  
4. The 1983 Coup was also a Jihad; Shehu Shagari was democratically elected contrary to the principle of Sharia that is opposed to man-made laws including the 1979 Constitution under which Shagari was elected.  Shagari, though a Muslim, was not an Islamist.  He was also not a Muslim of the Izala sect of Sheikh Gumi, who imported the Islamist ideology into Nigeria.
5. Stealth or civilization Jihad according to Sharia is obligatory like the conventional Jihad (Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen).  Stealth Jihad such as the purge in the Public Service of 1975 and 1976, the change from Parliamentary to Presidential system without referendum, creating 36 States by Muslim Heads of State, without recourse to inputs of ethnic nationalities, adding SSS and Land Use Act as part of the 1999 Constitution were all conducted under the radar that subverted Democracy and Rule and Law in Nigeria. 
6. The 1985 coup was as a result of internal rivalry between two classes of Islamists: those that accommodated more encompassing form of Democracy - (Babangida) and those that wanted full blown political Islam – (Buhari). The Babangida group supported by the Sultanate, then, made the 1985 coup a palace coup without violence.
7. The 1993 coup resulted from the fear of handing over power to the product of Ahmadiyya – Abiola while Abacha, as a Sunni Muslim was preferred.  He however had an axe to grind with the Caliphate over some funds entrusted to the Sultan’s son which led to dethronement of Sultan Dasuki and the present travails of his son Colonel Dasuki.
8. From 1975 – 1999, Islamism (political Islam) developed and was partially entrenched in the 1999 Constitution which became an instrument with elements of Jihad and Democracy. The Islamist controlled military ensured that Islamist’s “sacred space” was elevated to Land Use Act and SSS was made a Constitutional issue to continue with stealth Jihad.  Both Land Use Act and SSS Act got into the 1999 Constitution and were made to supersede the Constitution under Section 315(5)(c) and (d) thus elevating the Quran over and above the Constitution. 
9. It is our appreciation of the situation that the DSS was established as part of the SSS within the Intelligence Service to promote the Islamists ideology.  This is the common practice in Communist, Totalitarian and Third World countries. The Islamists in the process were able through recruited operatives, to control all the thirty parties that eventually emerged from the original two. The only peaceful way open to non-Islamists in Nigeria in the above circumstance, is a party/parties of their own. 
10.  The defeat of President Jonathan in 2015 was made possible by both the DSS and INEC in that before the elections, a new party APC, the product of stealth Jihad, had been established thus pulling the rug from under President Jonathan’s feet even before the elections.
11. The second phase now is to ensure a second term for Muhammadu Buhari and to do so the Islamists had to ensure that the two major parties are controlled by the Islamists.  The duo of Makarfi and Sheriff are two sides of the same coin to ensure that the Jihad especially stealth Jihad continues until the promised-land is reached (for the Islamists) and that’s when Nigeria becomes a truly Islamic Sultanate and the world becomes an Islamic Caliphate.
12. When Babangida started his New Breed politics which outlawed Ethnic and Religion based parties etc, it was stealth Jihad to prevent others especially Christians, to have parties of their own.  Malaysia, a Muslim country with Christians, Buddhists, etc has parties representing each group’s interest.   Freedom of Association under the Constitution cannot be taken away by a section of the Electoral Act.
13. A Christian sponsored political party is necessary for political actions against the Islamists and Islamism in Nigeria.  Both Makarfi and Sheriff are unsuitable materials because they cannot represent the interests of non-Islamists in general and Christians in particular. They are on a stealth Jihad to ensure that Christians, in particular, remain disorganized for another four years and thus give Buhari time to consolidate the Islamists hold on Nigeria having intimidated or compromised most, if not all, Christian political and religious leaders.
14. Sheriff, whose son is married to Buhari’s daughter, cannot in good conscience participate in removing him as President.  Sheriff is working for Buhari’s second term.
15. We agree that restructuring is more important than the Presidency, but to achieve this, non-Islamist party/parties need to be established with the main agenda of restructuring to deepen Democracy.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Nigerian requires the establishment of a Non-Islamist Political party to:

1. Re-structure Nigeria
2. Implement aspects of the National Conference Report relevant and necessary for a multi-Religious, multi-Ethnic, Federal and Democratic country
3. Establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission
4. Christians should join hands to transform CAN into an Institution. In particular, fund CAN.
5. Christians are encouraged to register at www.csmnigeria.org for regular updates and contributions.

National Christian Elders’ Forum (NCEF)
March 28, 2017

There is now a commonality of opinion that the rate of violent attacks of farmers all across Nigeria by armed Fulani herdsmen skyrocketed since the emergence of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who by birth is a Fulani.

Conversely, since he assumed office last May, president Buhari has yet to articulate a workable public policy framework on how best to effectively combat the rise in armed Fulani attacks/insurgency. 

Fulani herdsmen continue to attack unprotected Christian communities with impunity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.  World Watch Monitor

”It all started on Friday when the herdsmen forcefully entered our village to graze on farmland, but were resisted by our youths. They left – only to mobilise and storm our village in their numbers, shooting sporadically and chasing everyone from their houses.”

A survivor of a recent Fulani herdsmen’s attack in Benue state. It came on the heels of many others which have taken place in Guma, Agatu, Naka and several other LGAs, as WWM has reported in the past.

Communiqué of the Conference on Herders and Farmers Conflicts in Central Nigeria, organized by the Centre for Research Management, Benue State University, Makurdi, held at the Auditorium 1 of the College of Health Sciences, Benue State University from 13th – 16th March, 2017 Christened:

The Centre for Research and Management, Benue State University, having noted that thousands of people of the Central Nigerian States are being killed, with thousands more suffering debilitating injuries; communities being destroyed and hundreds of thousands being displaced from their ancestral homes; and concerned at the deteriorating security situation and the real threat of hunger and starvation in Nigeria as a result of the attacks on the farming communities in the region, which is the food basket region of Nigeria, decided to convene a conference to critically examine the unfolding violence and to explore solutions against the terror.

1. It is said that the voluntary surrender of power in 1979 to Alhaji Shehu Shagari gave the military, as then represented by Olusegun Obasanjo, a sanctimonious self-righteous air of being Nigeria’s custodian of democracy and moral conscience. However, the National Christian Elders’ Forum (NCEF) sees things differently to wit: that the handing over of power in 1979 was a stage in the promotion of Islamism in Nigeria.

Christian Association of Nigeria wishes to inform all Christians, both at home and abroad, that based on credible reports of concern, it has decided to suspend the Christian Day of Mourning formerly scheduled to take place globally on Sunday 19th March, 2017.

The President of CAN took cognizance of the preparations that various Christian groups have made to participate in the program which was designed, in all honesty and sincerity, to mourn the death of thousands of Christians murdered by religious insurgents.

UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES:

WHY NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS MUST SPEAK OUT GLOBALLY ON 19TH MARCH, 2017

(Part 1)

The clarion call in Nigeria today is “restructuring”. We wholeheartedly endorse this demand. The current structure of the country has proven, over a considerable period of time that it is incapable of fostering peace, unity, and progress.

However, while arrangements should be underway for the restructuring of Nigeria, there should be an immediate implementation of the Report of the 2014 National Conference. About 500 eminent Nigerians were gathered in Abuja in 2014 to propose constructive changes for Nigeria. The Report of the Conference has been ready but Government has not implemented it. It is crucial that immediate implementation should commence in the best interest of the nation.

UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES:

WHY NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS MUST SPEAK OUT GLOBALLY ON 19TH MARCH, 2017

(Part 2)

 Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as amended) states as follows:

“The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES:

WHY NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS MUST SPEAK OUT GLOBALLY ON 19TH MARCH, 2017

(Part 1)

Section 38 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as amended) states as follows:

“Every person shall be 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.”

1st March, 2017

To: All National Leaders,
Bloc Leaders,
Zonal Chairmen,
States Chairmen,
Denominational Heads,

Dear Sir/Ma,

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of CAN, during its meeting in Abuja on Tuesday 28th February, 2017, passed a resolution that the National day of Christian Protest and Mourning which earlier took place on 8th January, 2017, should be repeated on Sunday 19th March, 2017.

Non-Governmental organisation, Human Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked the Department of State Services under the leadership of Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura to halt the harassment of Christian leaders by its operatives.

In a statement, the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf condemned as “selective persecution and harassment”, the recent interrogation of National leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria over a global campaigns to attract funds to rebuild churches destroyed by Boko haram terrorists in North East. 

Nothing sums up the dangerous way in which the DSS is handling the Apostle Johnson Suleman affair better than the words of the Southern Kaduna-based Pastor Owojaye Matthew. He said, "you want to arrest Christian clergymen who asked Christians to defend themselves against killer FULANI Herdsmen while you allow hundreds of foreign FULANI herdsmen invading Nigeria to kill and maim CHRISTIANS and take over their lands! DSS, tread softly!  Do not play into the hands of chaos! We are waiting for DSS to arrest the kill and go FULANI herdsmen!"

Introduction

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It is necessary for a better understanding of the subject to state briefly the constitutional history of Nigeria.  Prof Ben Nwabueze has suggested that Nigeria was not a state until amalgamation in 1914. He contends that “the central legacy bequeathed to Africa by colonialism is the organism known as a state in its strict signification.”[1]  The state of development of Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria, prior to amalgamation is clearly stated in Lugard’s Documentary Record compiled by Kirk-Greene.  With respect to the South, Lugard wrote: “the South was, for the most part, held in thrall by fetish worship and the hideous ordeals of witchcraft, human sacrifice and twin murder.