By Odunewu Segun
Former Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of Kaduna state, Barrister Mark Jacob Nzamah, says the incessant killings of Christians and farmers in the northern part of Nigeria, especially in the middle belt region is part of an orchestral plot by some powerful people to Islamize the country.
Barrister Jacob disclosed this in Lagos on Friday at forum organized by E-Life magazine in conjunction with Christian Press Association of Nigeria where he presented a paper titled: The untold story of the church in Northern Nigeria.
“There’s a renewed attempt to Islamize this country, and those pushing this agenda are well funded and conscious of their goals. “Why should government use its instrument of coercion to take ancestral lands from Christians in the North and give to Fulani herdsmen who operate private businesses?
“All the green lights are there for people to decode but our Southern brothers still considered it untrue. But these people are testing the waters, they kidnapped Chief Olu Falae, nothing happened. They struck in Edo, Enugu and several other smaller towns in the South.
“Even in the area of appointment at the federal level, all heads of arms bearing agencies of government comes from a particular religion and region, yet some people still see the whole thing as a joke.
He said Christians are systemically being eliminated in the North, citing the killings in Southern Kaduna, Barrister Jacob said Christians have been banished from their own villages and the land taken over by Fulanis.
Barrister Jacob explained that the greatest disservice Christians in other parts of the country have done is to keep quiet when these injustices are being done.
According to him, the same scenario is being played out in the educational sector with all schools built by Christian missionaries taken over and their names changed to Muslims.
“We, Christians in the North have made up our minds on how to survive this humiliation and decimation of our people on our lands, while those in the South are still undecided,” he said.
In his own comment, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, Chairman of Lagos state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, said it was not true that Christian leaders in the South are oblivious of happenings in the North.
“We are not happy with the killings by herdsmen; such happenings cannot be confronted with a violent approach. This underscores the need for Christians to pray to God.
He said, “Prayers for our land are very paramount. There’s no challenge confronting the country that cannot be surmounted with prayers. Every situation of the country requires prayers and that is why we’re urging all Christian faithful under the umbrella of CAN not to relent in their prayers for our Christian brothers in the north.
Convener of the forum who is also the publisher of e-Life magazine, Deacon Bola Adewara said the threat of Islamization is real, and that Christian leaders must speak with one voice.
“Kaduna state and some other parts of the North used to be peaceful with people of different tribes and religion living side by side. Now the story have changed even indigenous tribes who are Christians are being slaughtered, humiliated on daily basis,” he said.
Other Christian leaders who attended the forum include: Bishop Olusola Ore who is the chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Lagos state chapter; Apostle Ladi Thompson; Bishop Funsho Bada; Bishop Wale Adekoya; Prophet A.T Williams.
Others are: Bishop Oscar Ossai and Bishop Abraham Olaleye