By KATO P. LADAN, Kaduna
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), 19 Northern states and Abuja has expressed concern with the statement credited to Miyetti Allah that “Nigeria belongs to Fulani and they will rule forever”.
CAN warned that the statement is capable of causing disaffection among Nigerians.
CAN also lamented that the statement is also capable of destroying and tearing the nation apart.
Rev. John Joseph Hayab, Vice-Chairman of CAN, 19 Northern States and FCT in a statement on Sunday and made available to New Nigerian, accused the leader of Miyetti Allah of saying that the group owns Nigeria and has the right to do anything it wishes.
CAN emphasized that Nigeria does not belong to any ethnic group, section or religion but to everybody.
The statement said the newspaper story credited to the National President of Miyetti Allah who was quoted as saying that “Nigeria belongs to Fulani and they will rule forever” confirmed and identified those who do not wish Nigeria to live in peace and unity.
CAN noted that no well-meaning individual should use the name of an association or platform like MiYetti Allah to make such serious divisive statement.
The truth, according to CAN is that Nigeria does not belong to any ethnic group, section or religion but to every one, pointing out that such false claims as that of MiYetti Allah’s President only create tension and fuels crisis in the country.
CAN then called on the federal government through the security agencies to call the acclaimed ethnic superiority champion to action to appropriately school him on the diversity of Nigeria and the need for restraint from such reckless statements.
The statement enjoined all well-meaning members of the Miyatti Allah group to urgently disassociate themselves from the provocative statement linked to the group as proof that the speaker is not playing a script.
“Without a doubt, there are members of Miyetti Allah who love this country genuinely, craving to see the country grow in peace and develop in every sphere reckon that the statement credited to the group’s President is not a popular view, as such, needs to be publicly opposed,” CAN observed.
Nigeria’s problems are numerous; from insecurity to bad economy and now the Covid-19. CAN, therefore, does not want to add to the barrage of problems the country face by letting unscrupulous people make grave and ungodly utterances that have dangerous security implications.
It said Nigerians would wait and see what the federal government through her security agencies will do about what CAN described as inflammatory statement, stressing that unless the country has separate laws for different groups of people in the land.
