By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
The incessant killing of Christians in Nigeria, especially the recent butchering of a member of Christian Association of Nigeria (C.A.N.) in the north by the Boko Haram Terrorist sect is still generating angry reactions from men of God and the general public across the country.
A Port Harcourt-based clergyman, Rev. John Agu has also joined in condemning the act while calling on the federal government to intervene and stop the killing of Christians before it escalates to a full blown bloodbath or ethno-religious war.
In a chat with TPCN yesterday, Rev John Agu, who is the Senior Pastor of Global Revival Assembly, lamented that the killing of Christians in the northern part of Nigeria had been going on for years and therefore should be checked urgently.
He said: “Concerning the happenings around Nigeria, especially the born-again Christians, I may say this thing did not start today. Sometimes it comes and sometimes it looks as if it has stopped. We have always witnessed the killing of Christians, the burning of churches, destruction of properties, especially on the area of Christians.
“Some years back we know what has happened overtime. I remember one of my brothers from my village was killed at Kaduna State. So, overtime, it comes and you see a lot of people will go.
“The Nigerian authorities need to do something about it, because if we say we’re one Nigeria and lives and properties are not protected by the powers that be, it comes to a point where the people who have been suffering these things will revolt one day.
“We’re not praying that it should be so but before you know it, that may give birth to a lot of bloodshed or ethnic war again. So the powers that be need to do something to make sure that this violence and killing of Christians, especially at the northern side, stop.”
Rev. Agu expressed regret over the silence of some prominent men of God in the face of the killings going on in Nigeria, adding that God, in the book of Isaiah, referred to such men of God who refuse to speak out against injustice as dumb dogs.
He admitted that part of the oversight functions of men of God is to speak for the people, as they demonstrated recently when they spearheaded a protest following the killing of a member of Christian Association of Nigeria (C.A.N.) in the north by Boko Haram.
“Some of the prominent men of God in Nigeria suppose to be advocates. Their voices are supposed to be heard, like the days Archbishop (Benson Idahosa) was alive. You see him saying some things. But you will see that everybody is like keeping quiet. If they kill James today and nobody is saying anything, tomorrow they may proceed to kill John.”
Rev. John Agu however advised those killing Christians and innocent Nigerians to understand that they have no right to waste life.
“It’s good to be fanatical in what you believe but when you become fanatical and that leads you to take life that God created, you should question what you believe. No man has right to take away life apart from him that giveth life and that is God,” he said.
