Easter: CAN tells Christians to defend selves

The Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory has urged Christians to take proactive steps to protect themselves amid persistent attacks, especially during the Easter season.

The call followed the recent Palm Sunday attack on Angwan Rukuba community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, where more than 20 people were killed and several others injured.

The incident occurred around 8 pm and has heightened concerns over the safety of worshippers ahead of Easter celebrations.

In response to the growing security concerns, the Defence Headquarters had earlier placed troops on nationwide alert, assuring Nigerians of strengthened security measures during the festive period.

Speaking during the Defence Headquarters’ end-of-month briefing in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said troops had been directed to maintain heightened vigilance across the country throughout Easter.

However, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Chairman of Northern CAN, Joseph Hayab, said Christians must not allow fear to define how they celebrate their faith.

According to him, the repeated attacks during major Christian festivals were aimed at breaking the morale of believers and discouraging them from worship.

“These attackers are human beings, not spirits. A time must come when those chasing us will find themselves being resisted,” he said.

Hayab stressed that the Christian community must remain united, organised, and determined not to allow violence to disrupt Easter celebrations.

He said the persistent attacks since 2009, particularly around Easter and Christmas, had become deeply disturbing, adding that the pattern suggested an attempt to deny Christians the joy of observing important religious events.

While declining to disclose specific strategies, Hayab said church leaders must encourage their members to remain steadfast and not succumb to intimidation.

“We are angry over the killings and disappointed by the inability of government and security agencies to end the violence, but Christians must not be deterred. This is also a psychological war,” he said.

He added that the targeting of places of worship appeared designed to instill fear and discourage believers from attending church services.

According to him, if church leaders fail to encourage their members to stand firm, it would amount to yielding to the agenda of those behind the attacks.

Hayab described the continued wave of violence around Easter as a major test of public confidence in the government’s security assurances, noting that many Nigerians were beginning to lose faith in official promises of protection.