The Patriotic Christian Youths of Nigeria on Tuesday described as demonic, the condemnation of the recent nationwide protest by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Ondo State Council.

The organisation said but for the name of the organisation NSCIA and its General Secretary, Sirajudeen Abdulazeez Folayemi, who signed the document “we would have said that this statement is one of those rantings of Boko Haram leaders from the hidings.”

The Christian youths said from the tone of the press statement issued by Folayemi in Akure it was obvious that the NSCIA was sponsored by the Presidency.

The President of PCYN, Evangelist Timothy Nasso, in a statement issued in Abuja, also commiserated with CAN on the death of its General Secretary, Dr. Musa Asake.

“We are deeply touched by the departure of a hero of faith, a faithful, dynamic, charismatic, credible and dependable leader of the church. The gentleman is humble, harmless but fearless, outspoken and willing to sacrifice his life for the faith. We will surely miss Dr. Asake and the vacuum created by his departure will hardly be filled.

“It is our belief that Asake has completed his assignment here on earth and has gone to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. He came, saw and conquered. We condole with the CAN leadership, the TEKAN/ECWA Bloc in CAN and the entire Christendom and all Nigerians for this irreparable loss,” he stated.

The Ondo NSCIA had condemned the recent public protest against the killing of Christians in the country organised by CAN, describing it as “uncalled for, biased, callous, segregative in nature, and contradicts divine teachings of obedience to constituted authorities as well as constructive counselling to the people in power.”

The NSCIA also questioned the fact that Christians were the most affected by the killings in the country and saying they never supported the election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The PCYN said that by criticising 16 years of unfortunate misrule of the opposition and supporting the present administration, they are “speaking for a failed government.”

The statement reads:

“Ordinarily, such press statement does not deserve any response from an organized institution like ours because one will not expect self-centered and sponsors of daily killings of Nigerians to be sad that lives are lost or having any feeling and sympathy for the crying victims but the fact that there are ignorant Nigerians who take seriously any document they read on news, we wish to make the following response.

“But for the name of the organisation NSCIA and the person who signed the document, we would have said that this statement is one of those rantings of Boko Haram leaders from the hidings. The NSCIA Ondo State that has not seen the need to issue any public press statement on the ongoing killings in the country and the maladministration of the present government has the resources to mobilise the press to speak against the harmless protesters who are simply expressing their dissatisfaction against the unabated killings by Islamic terrorists masquerading as Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen all over the country.

“It is so sad and unfortunate that we have no records where NSCIA Ondo spoke truth to the powers-that-be against the ongoing killings, failed promises made by the government to end hunger, improve economic, protect human lives and property, to fight corruption and to respect the Nigeria Constitution as against what is witness; high level of human rights violations, disrespect for Nigerian constitution, Islamic and regional based appointments, employments and developments, yet the NSCIA Ondo has not gotten the courage to speak to power as counselled but rather had enough time and resources to criticize the church leaders who have sacrifice their time, resources, intellect and lives for the peace and development of Nigeria.

“The group has not hidden the fact that they were speaking for a failed government when they were criticising 16 years of unfortunate misrule of the opposition, which definitely left no one in doubt as to the angles they were coming from. It is truly the “the skin of Esaw but voice of Jacob”. The NSCIA were ignorant that the Catholics Bishops they attempted to blackmail were the very strong Christian group that stood for President Mohammadu Buhari against warning by those who knew what shall come out of Buhari’s led Federal government.

“As an organisation, we stand strongly with Christian Association of Nigeria for the declaration of the protest against the killings and bloodlettings in the nation. We commend the effort of the Ondo State CAN Chairman for mobilising the church well in his state. We encourage the church to go beyond roadside protest to ensuring that individual Christians and innocent Nigerians go all out to defend themselves in the face of the ongoing unprovoked attacks.

“The mere mention of Papa Ayo’s aircraft issue which has since been clarified by both government and the aircraft company that hired his plane confirmed the evil behind their publication. For the avoidance of doubt and for the sake of some ignorant persons, Pastor Oritsejafor has an aircraft as any individual who owns aircraft, the aircraft was leased to an airline operating company for business. The aircraft was hired from the airline company for the South African trip. How is Papa Ayo supposed to know that the plane was hired or the purpose for which it was hired? It’s like asking the landlord to account for the activities of his tenant. But evil and mischief makers will want him to know and account for the plane he is no longer in charge.

“Papa Ayo is a highly respected Nigerian who has paid his dues both in the church and nation-building. Besides the fact that Pastor Ayo has given the Nigerian Church the needed voice when he was Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President, he has also provided relief materials to both Christians and Muslims that have been affected by poverty and the ongoing violent attacks in Nigeria. He has donated cars, motorcycles, sawing and grading machines and have done large empowerment programmes that have alleviated the suffering of Nigerians irrespective of their faith and religion. We challenge the evil-minded group and religious bigots walking under NSCIA Ondo State to mention their religious leaders that have done half of what Pastor Ayo has done to the downtrodden Nigerians. We are sure it is never in their interest to talk about peace and the good part of church leaders and Nigerians.

“The NSCIA should name their readers who have clean hands and have taken any practical step to stop the ongoing killings and destruction of lives and properties in Nigeria; then we shall show them the most corrupt persons who are destroying our nation Nigeria. We wish the self-righteous NSCIA Ondo tells us about the 700 million Naira personal House that was bought for the Sultan with state funds. They should tell us the justification of the appointments of a particular ethnic group as heads of the security services in Nigeria and those behind the popular outcry against NNPC awards of Billions of Naira contracts without due process.

“Any person that frowns against those protesting the unending killings in Nigeria must be part of the conspiracy of the killings. From every indication, the NSCIA Ondo does not want the killings stopped since it’s an orchestrated jihad against the church.

“The present government has not hidden the fact that they know the sponsors of the killers when they negotiated with them leading to the released of some notorious Boko Haram and the Dapchi girls with the exception of the only Christian girls, Leah Sharibu. The NSCIA’s attempt to defend the ineptitude of the Buhari’s led Federal Government to take decisive measures to curb the killings in Nigeria is very unfortunate and unbecoming of a group that parades itself as religious. The press statement to say the least is demonic, satanic, anti-human and blood testy. It is coming from a group one can best be described as the open sponsors of jihadists in Nigeria.

“We are aware that President Mohammadu Buhari and the Sultan of Sokoto have not hidden their roles as Patrons of the killers’ herdsmen (Fulani). If the NSCIA Ondo associates the CAN to the Islamic Jihadist killers, Boko Haram and Herdsmen, they should tell the nation the Christian Community that were part of those Boko Haram members released by President Buhari’s government or those he promised amnesty to. The NSCIA Ondo State is highly mischievous, callous, bloodthirsty and never wish that the killings of Christians and innocent Nigerians end, hence their anger as to why the Christians are protesting and attracting the attention of the international communities that the killings be stopped.

“We are aware of the relentless effort some of these demonic, so-called Islamic leaders are making to have respected Christian leaders who are providing voices against the ongoing killings arrested and incarcerated. The God of Christians is a living God, He fought against Pharaoh of Egypt and can always remove whoever He so wishes.

“We encourage CAN and Christian leaders at all levels not to relent in their effort to serve as the salt and light of the world at all times despite the antics of enemies of the Cross.”

Update news