Supreme Islamic Council, CAN bicker as US blacklists Nigeria over religious freedom

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has faulted the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for backing the United States’ decision to place Nigeria on a religious freedom blacklist.

The Federal Government had vehemently rejected the classification, saying it would vigorously engage the U.S. government to remove its name from its blacklist.

CAN said that it was not happy with the religious freedom blacklist but was “encouraged that the world is aware of what is happening in the country”, alleging that Christians have been victims of religious persecution in Nigeria.

According to Sahara Reporters, the Christian body noted that the only reason why the Boko Haram fighters are still holding Leah Sharibu captive is that she is a Christian and not a few Pastors and Christians have been attacked by the insurgents.

Reacting to CAN’s position, NSCIA’s Media Committee Chairman, Femi Abass told The Punch, “Perhaps by gaining access to records, the US government may discover and be able to explain to CAN that the churches in the Northern parts of Nigeria, where Muslims are demographically predominant in physical presence, are about 300 per cent or more than the number of mosques in the Southern parts of the country where Christians are in the majority.

“Except for the South-West, the ratio of mosques to churches in other parts of Southern Nigeria is about one to 100 in virtually every locality. The NSCIA or any Muslim group is not making any noise on it. Is Nigeria meant for Christians alone?

“As for the allegation over the seats of the vice-chancellors in the federal universities, we challenge CAN to cite the number of federal universities in the Southern parts of Nigeria, in which Muslim professors are vice- chancellors compared to those of the Northern parts where Christians are vice-chancellors.

“Even the 72 year old University of Ibadan, otherwise called Premier University, which was established in 1948, has never had a Muslim as vice-chancellor since its inception till date.

“For the first two decades of the University of Ilorin, all the vice-chancellors of that university were Christians and no Muslim ever complained about it.”