CAN made the call via a circular that was released by the General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, on Saturday, and obtained by SaharaReporters.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has directed all churches in the country and Christian stakeholders to hold a peaceful protest nationwide over the gruesome killing of Deborah Yakubu by a mob of Muslim youths in Sokoto State for alleged blasphemy.
CAN made the call via a circular that was released by the General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, on Saturday, and obtained by SaharaReporters.
The circular which was titled, “A REQUEST FOR NATIONWIDE PEACEFUL PROTESTS, CALLING FOR JUSTICE FOR DEBORAH YAKUBU” reads, “I have been directed by the CAN President, His Eminence. Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle, to request all church leaders, through your various churches to organise a PEACEFUL PROTEST in honour of one of our daughters, DEBORAH YAKUBU who was gruesomely murdered on Thursday, 12 May, 2022 at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto in Sokoto State by some Islamic extremists.
"The protest will take place on 22 May, 2022 in the afternoon by 3pm in every secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) nationwide and not on the streets in order to avoid further loss of lives. Those without CAN's Secretariat may use any church with big premises.
"We are to hold placards with some succinct message like "WE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR DEBORAH," "NO MORE KILLING IN GOD'S NAME", "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" "POLICE, STOP UNPROVOKED KILLINGS IN NIGERIA, "CHRISTIANS ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS," "KILLERS OF DEBORAH MUST BE PROSECUTED," "WE CONDEMN RELIGIOUS KILLINGS," "WE SAY NO TO ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS."
"We urge those who could afford it to make use of the traditional media and the social media and others can use only the social media to give it a wide coverage in other to sensitise the whole world. We also call on Nigerian Christians in the diaspora to join us using our embassies all over the world.
"The occasion can also be used to pray for Deborah's family and friends, peace for the country, victory for the Church and godly political leaders in the coming general election. Thanks, and God bless you all.”