HURIWA To SSS: Stop Persecution, Profiling Of Christians
The State Security Services, SSS, has been asked by the Human Rights Writers Association, HURIWA, to stop the alleged persecution and profiling of Christians in the country.
The non-governmental rights body accused the SSS leadership of waging a psychological, physical persecution and torture of Christian leaders.
In a statement, the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, condemned as selective persecution and harassment, the recent interrogation of the national leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, over a global campaigns to attract funds to rebuild churches destroyed by Boko haram terrorists in North East.
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The group said there was absolutely nothing untoward for Christian leaders to canvass for genuine funding support to carry out evangelism including the rebuilding of Churches destroyed by Islamist terror group of Boko Haram particularly when Christianity is a universal religion just like Islam.
The Rights group said the action of DSS amounts to profiling of Christian leaders only because of their religious status even as it dismisses the action as absolutely discriminatory and therefore unlawful and unconstitutional.
Expressing consternation that the SSS has never interrogated leaders of the Islamic religion who constantly collect funds from international Islamic bodies in Saudi Arabia amongst other places, wondered when it has become a crime for the Christian leaders to scout for genuine funds to implement credible religious obligations of building befitting places of worship which in any case were destroyed because the government funded security forces including the Department of State Services failed to prevent the attacks by Boko Haram.
It tasked the SSS to deploy intelligent gathering efforts to thwart the massive inflow of small arms and sophisticated weapons by a range of freelance armed hoodlums wreaking havoc all across Nigeria.
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It listed those quizzed by the SSS to include a former Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro (retd.), representing TEKAN/ECWA bloc of CAN; a retired High Court Judge, Justice Kalajine Anigbogu, representing the Christian Council of Nigeria bloc; Mrs. Osaretin Demuren, representing the Organisation of African Instituted Churches and a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Lemo, representing the Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria.
