The attention of the Network of Africa Christian Journalists NACJOURN has been drawn to the yet another naked, senseless and irascible killing of Debo
The attention of the Network of Africa Christian Journalists NACJOURN has been drawn to the yet another naked, senseless and irascible killing of Deborah Yakubu, a Christian in Northern Nigeria.
This, coming in a tertiary institution, and at a time many Nigerians thought they were building a nation by doing away with illiteracy, suspicions, meaningless religious sentiments and activities that stand reason and enlightenment on their head.
The state of mind of many youths in Northern Nigeria, if their comments on social media on this killing, are something to go by, is a source of worry to enlightened minds.
Coming to think that these are the same youth we call leaders of tomorrow, we wonder if truly Nigeria has a tomorrow where everyone can live in peace, holds opinion and ventilates the same, without molestation and fear of being killed.
It is against this background that we condemn, in the strongest terms, the killing of Deborah Yakubu, a part 2 Economics student in Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, on Thursday, May 12, 2022.
Against the fact that this incident happened in a College of Education, one wonders what this institution has been teaching their students who will become teachers of the younger generation after their graduation.
Despite all efforts by successive governments to assist enlightenment in Northern Nigeria, which culminated in an investment of N60b in almajiris education by the Jonathan administration, we lament the current realities of the youth in that part of Nigeria.
NACJourn also feels so sad that past issues like this have been swept under the carpet. The list is growing: Gideon Akaluka, Christiana Oluwatosin Oluwasesin, Florence Chukwu, Abdallahi Umar, Methodus Chiamajie, Eunice Elisha Olawale, Bridget Agbahime, Tudun Wada and now, Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto, culprits have never been arrested; and when arrested, like we have been told in this new case, no prosecution is made, and no one is punished.
This gives us a conviction that in some parts of Northern Nigeria, anyone is free to kill Christians at the slightest disagreement and will go scot-free. Christians in Nigeria cannot continue to stomach the barbarity of these Islamic fanatics holding the nation by the jugular.
If Northern Nigeria is truly ready to transit from the Hobbesian state of nature to modern society, the time is now for the northern leaders, especially their governors, to revisit the state of mind of their youths, many of whom are still living 15th century in a 21st century, dragging Nigeria backwards in all fronts.
We are glad to hear from enlightened Muslims that Islam is peace. But how can this be justified when the regular manifestation we see from the headquarters of Islam is that of intolerance and killing of innocent souls with no one punished.
We, however, advise Christians in Northern Nigeria to avoid religious discussions and arguments with people who are not of the same faith as them. They should be very careful in their associations with the bad eggs amongst the northern youths, those that have visible character traits of intolerance. This killing is too frequent and unacceptable. We want Christians to stay alive rather than become martyrs, to do the work Jesus gave us in Matthew 28.
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We call on all Christian leaders and associations across Nigeria and Africa to note this latest killing and mark our fears that nothing will be done about it beyond the verbal condemnations by the authorities concerned.
We enjoin our Muslim brothers and sisters in Southern Nigeria not to keep quiet about this killing. We want them to realise that keeping quiet in matters like this makes them complicit.
The time is now for the southern Muslims to affect their northern counterparts with adequate information on the truth of Islam and how to practice it with enlightened minds. If Muslim leadership in southern Nigeria looks away from this heinous crime against humanity, it will send signals to the world that they endorse the killings of Christians at will.
We also speak to Christian leaders in southern Nigeria to take another look at the plight of our Christian brothers and sisters in Northern Nigeria. The time is now to form a synergy that works with the Christian North. We have to demonstrate that their plight is our plight, and we will never treat them with aloofness in sadness and pain.
Our condolences to the family of Deborah Yakubu. We enjoin them to be consoled by that Deborah passed on as a great soldier, unwavering in her commitments to Jesus.
For the Christian soldier, it is appointed to us to die, and the manner of death is immaterial. Stephen was stoned. John the Baptist was beheaded. Isaiah was killed. The translator of the Bible to the English language, William Tyndale was burned. James was killed. Eleven of the twelve disciples of Jesus, according to Bible historians, were killed in a gruesome manner, just like Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we encourage Deborah’s family to count it all joy that their ward was in a good league of soldiers and martyrs. What matters is she is with the Lord, having fought a good fight.
We also speak to all Christians in Nigeria that, while we received this news with pains in our hearts, let us heal quickly, knowing that we are on a battlefront, and in this type of war, this killing will not be the last.
Let us all hold fast to the confession of our faith. Let us all be ready to do the work of evangelism and missions, to reach the violent zones of Nigeria with the good news that set men free.
Signed
Dr. Bola Adewara, Dayo Emmanuel,
President NACJourn. Secetary, NACJourn.
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