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Tag: Christians

  • Killings In Nigeria: Pastor Enenche urges Christians to defend themselves against attackers [Video]

    The Senior Pastor, Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), Abuja, Dr Paul Enenche, has declared that it was high time people started defending themselves against those killing people in Nigeria either in the name of politics or religion.

    The fiery preacher affirmed that people would no longer fold their arms and watch others maim and waste them for no reason.

    He gave this message barely 24 hours after pouring out his heart on the senseless killings of Nigerians in Benue, Taraba States and other parts of the country.

    Speaking on a Friday evening service, the cleric backed his call for self defense from the bible and the Nigerian constitution.

    He recalled how God humbled former Libyan dictator, Mummar Gaddafi when he tried to call for the disintegration of Nigeria some years back.

    His words, “It is time for us to pray to God to whom vengeance belongs to show himself in Nigeria.

    “One of the greatest challenges that can happen on earth is the challenge of ignorance.

    “I am sure you are aware of what I may call the war of attrition from a certain select group of people that want to relentlessly and continuously attack and weary communities into submission in Nigeria.

     

    Watch video

    “But I announce that anybody who is interested in the destruction of Nigeria, destruction shall never leave his generation.

    “Whoever and wherever that person is, either in this nation or outside this land because our history told us that nobody ever interested in the destruction of Nigeria ever survived.

    “I know of a man called Gaddafi (of Libya), who about the years 2010/2011 was dictating what should happen in Nigeria.

    “At a point, he suggested that Nigeria should be divided along religious line.

    “And there seemed to be suggestions that he had a hand in what was happening in the nation as at then – to destroy lives.

    “But the question is, where is Gaddafi and his generation today?

    “I said this as a signal to anybody across the length and breadth of this nation that anyone interested in the wastage of Nigeria, may God waste him and his generation.

    “In Benue, just yesterday, about 75 people were given a mass burial because of some satanic vagabonds but enough is enough.

    “Let me say two things before we pray because we have a high level of ignorance.

    “Nobody has the right to take another man’s life either it is in the name of religion or politics, or cultism. Under

    Our constitution, the right to life is guaranteed under section 33 sub section 1 of the 1999 constitution as amended.

    It says, “everybody has the right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life safe in execution of the sentence of a court in respect if a criminal of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.

    “I announced that anybody wasting lives in this nation, the same way shall his generation be wasted.

    “Now, hear this, whatever a person does to prevent himself from being killed is not an offence. It is in the constitution.

    “Section 59 of the penal code says, nothing is an offence of which is done in the lawful exercise of the right of private defense.

    “Also, section 60 of the penal code is also provides that;

    “The right of private defense extends to;

    (a) the defense of his own body and body of any other person against any offense affecting the human body.

    (b) the property either movable or immovable of himself or of any other person against any act which is an offence under the definition of theft, robbery, mischief or criminal trespass or which is an attempt to commit any of those offences.

    “In other word, it is not an offence for someone to defend himself or another from being killed.

    “So what is the useless nonsense about those who think they have the claim to take life at will and go unarrested and, unharassed. The end of it has come. Enough is enough.

    Lets back it up from the bible.

    “Gen 9:6 says, who Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. so sheeded man’s blood by man.

    “Meaning the killer is qualified for killing.

    “That action is not an offence because he came to finish people and the people gathered and finished him. Those people did nothing wrong.

    “Exodus 22:2 summed it up thus: If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.

    “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

    Proverbs 26:27.

    Also in Rev 13:1 “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

    Did you read what the penal code said, “you are entitled to defend yourself and another person around, against attackers, and you want to watch them waste your wife and children?

  • To restore Nigeria’s glory, Christians must participate in politics – CAN

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has urged Christians to participate in the process of restoring the lost glories of Nigeria.

    Ayokunle made the remarks yesterday while speaking at international workers’ retreat of the convention in Abuja.

    The CAN president also said the restructuring must be done without bias or prejudice.

    He said when Nigeria gained its independence, its glory was bright but that has faded over time.

    “There is the need to update how we govern ourselves, thus, re-structuring the nation after 57 years is a welcome development. It must be done without bias or prejudice to religion, ethnicity, class or group affiliation,” he said.

    “We must develop our home-grown democracy. The present system is a hybrid of the American and British system. It is not working well for us.

    “Nigeria is not left out. Our glory is our pride as a nation. When we gained independence from Britain in 1960, it was a turning point in our history and a breakthrough for the nation’s glory to burst forth. Our glory shone brighter and brighter after independence as we became the foremost nation in Africa and indeed among the black race.

    “However, at a point, the glory began to fade and we are yet to recover that glory. If we must bring back the glory of Nigeria and rise to more glory as a nation, then effective participation is compulsory for all Christians.”

  • Christmas: Sultan felicitates with Christians, urges peaceful coexistence

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar, has felicitated with Nigerian Christians on the occasion of the 2017 Christmas celebrations.

    This was contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Salisu Shehu on Friday.

    The statement said, “Christmas, which marks the commemoration of the birth of Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ) –peace be upon him-, should inspire love, compassion and kindness and these are virtuous attributes and characters that all believers are enjoined to imbibe.

    “As you celebrate this important event, the Muslim community in Nigeria wishes you God’s guidance and abundant blessings.”

    It also encouraged Christian believers to continue to preach the gospel of unity, understanding, peaceful co-existence and development.

    “We, therefore, wish to use this opportunity to urge our Christian compatriots to make the best use of this season to pray fervently for our dear country, Nigeria that we can continue to live together peacefully so that we prosper as a nation.

    “For these reasons, all believers in Him (Jesus Christ) have an obligation to stand for justice, equity and fairness to all oppressed people in this country and the world over,” the statement said.

    Recall that Federal Government on Wednesday declared Monday, December 26, and Tuesday, 27 as public holidays to mark the Christmas and Boxing Day celebration.

    The government also declared Monday, January 2, 2017 as public holiday to mark the New Year.

     

  • Osinbajo betrayed Church by pairing with Buhari who hates Christians – Fani-Kayode

    Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Sunday morning continued with his attack on Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo – this time, he said the VP betrayed Christians and the church in Nigeria.

    Fani-Kayode said betrayed the church by pairing with President Muhammadu Buhari who he declared “hates” Southerners and Christians.

    The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain observed that under Buhari, every military and security agency except one is headed by a northern Muslim.

    In a tweet via his Twitter handle, the former Minister also maintained that every parastatal in the energy sector is headed by a Northerner.

    Fani-Kayode wrote, “Truth is that @ProfOsinbajo betrayed the Church by pairing with a man who HATES southerners and Christians.

    “Under Buhari the head of EVERY military and security agency except one is headed by a northern Muslim and every parastatal in the energy sector is headed by a northerner.”

  • SUKUK: MURIC blasts CAN, says ‘You cry foul each time Muslims demand their rights’

    …warns CAN to stop misleading misleading Christians

    The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has lambasted the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, over its statement that the Federal Government was making discreet moves to Islamise the country by its proposed floating of the Sukuk Eurobond

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Christian body had on Tuesday in statement signed by its General Secretary, Musa Asake, said that the floating of the Sukuk bond was an attempt by the federal government to “Islamise Nigeria through the backdoor”.

    CAN therefore urged the federal government to abrogate the laws and framework behind the bond and threatened to seek legal redress if that was not done.

    However, in a statement on Thursday, Ishaq Akintola, President of MURIC, described CAN’s position as “not only infantile, petty and overbearing but also spiteful and egocentric”.

    Akintola, a professor, said in his statement that the government had released “Christian-oriented bonds for decades and the Muslims did not complain for once”, adding that the body should stop misleading Nigerians and inciting Christians against their Muslim neighbours.

    MURIC also explained that Sukuk is purely business and has no elements of “Islamisation”.

    “Let us eschew primordial sentiments. Sukuk is purely business. We advise Christians to take their destiny in their own hands instead of allowing warlike leaders to lead them into an unnecessary confrontation with Muslims every time,” the statement read.

    “Our position is based on the fact that CAN has all it needs in Nigeria today because the whole system is Christo-Western: education, the judicial system, the economy, everything. There is nothing the Muslims are demanding now that the Christians don’t have already on a platter of gold. It must also be stated that the Christians do not need the things that the Muslims are asking for.

    “Have they ever seen Muslims opposing a benefit going to Christians? We did not protest when you started going to Jerusalem even though we know that it is not mandatory for Christians. Why is it that CAN always cry foul each time we seek parity?

    “We must now ask CAN why it is playing dog in the manger. Shari‘ah is not for them but CAN screamed until the roofs nearly came down. OIC does not hurt any Christian but CAN shouted to high heavens. Hijab is for female Muslims alone but violent envy pushed CAN to shout itself hoarse. Islamic bank is for Muslims alone but CAN labeled it Islamisation of Nigeria. Can CAN give us a list of those who have been Islamised since Islamic banking started in the country?”

    On CAN’s claim that Sukuk was unconstitutional, the body said such claim is false, stressing that its legality could however be challenged in the court.

    “How can laws made by the federal government be ultra vires? CAN is misleading Nigerian Christians. CAN should know what to do if it is unconstitutional. We challenge CAN to go to court today. It should not wait till tomorrow.

    “If it is true that Sukuk implies Islamisation, then the stock exchange is imperialistic Christianisation. But almost the whole of Europe has embraced the Sukuk industry. This includes France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Luxemburg and Britain. Paris EUROPLACE established Sukuk as far back as 2007 and France has since established the Islamic Finance Commission. Germany issued its first Sukuk in 2004,” Akintola said.

     

  • Two Christians drown in river during baptism

    Two Christian worshippers drowned during a baptism ceremony in the Ugwasi River at Rombo in northern Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro region.

    The victims, who are both male farmers and members of the Shalom Church, drowned in the river which the police say was deep with a very high current.

    The Kilimanjaro police commander Hamis Selemani confirmed the deaths saying the pastor and other church members have been detained for interrogation.

    “We are holding the church pastor and other followers for interrogation. We are holding them for further investigation to understand how others died and some managed to escape,” he told local media.

    The police advised that the depth of rivers should be ascertained first before river baptisms are performed to avoid any incident. The religious ceremony is done in rivers mainly by charismatic churches in the country.

  • No attempt to force Christian students to learn IRK in schools – Sultan

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Dr. Muhammad Abubakar has dismissed reports that there were plans to Islamise Nigeria, stressing that there is no attempt to force Islamic and Christian Religious Knowledge, IRK on Christian students.

    Abubakar spoke at a national symposium and launching of 2025 Vision by Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria.

    The Sultan said, “When Umar Yar’Adua was President, Christians and Muslims leaders wrote, asking him to make IRK core and compulsory subjects in schools.

    “When Goodluck Jonathan took over, we presented a paper making the same demand, which was approved, but the then minister of education refused to implement it for reasons best known to him.

    “So, I wonder why a controversy suddenly surfaced over alleged attempts by Muslims to force IRK on Christian students by compelling students to learn Islamic religion in schools,” he said.

    The Sultan also said the recent crisis in Mambilla Plateau, Taraba State was not targeted at any tribe.

    “The crisis was not planned by individuals or groups to eliminate any tribe; as an ex-military officer, I can only believe that the crisis was planned when I see a document to confirm that,” he said.

  • Adeboye, Kumuyi,Oyedepo others ask Christian students to boycott Arabic classes

    Adeboye, Kumuyi,Oyedepo others ask Christian students to boycott Arabic classes

    The General Overseers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye; The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Bishop Mike Okonkwo; Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo; Deeper Life Church, Pastor WF Kumuyi among others, have ordered Christian students across the country to boycott Arabic Studies amid reports that the subject was made compulsory.

    Also present at the meeting were Rev. (Dr.) Mercy Ezekiel, the National Coordinator of Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM), Pastor Wale Oke and the General Overseer of the Thronegrace Mission, Pastor Emmanuel Nuhu Kure.

    The top pastors spoke, recently, after a meeting in Lagos under the auspices of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).

    They also called for immediate reversal of the revised Basic Education Curriculum, especially the collapse of Christian Religious Studies (CRS) as part of an omnibus subject known as Religion and National Values, and maintained that CRS should stand on its own as a separate subject just as it has always been.

    They criticised the move to impose Arabic Studies on every secondary school student in the country, stating that the Federal Government has no right to force any Nigerian student at any level to study Arabic Studies.

    They said that the proviso in the revised curriculum that every student must take either French or Arabic Studies compulsorily in a country where French teachers are scarce was an attempt to impose Arabic Studies on Christian students.

    Articulating the position of the Fellowship, Omobude, who is also the PFN National President, Oyedepo, Okonkwo and Wale Oke urged Christian students in any part of the country to resist such imposition, stressing that “we are aware of orchestrated plans to subtly use this policy as a means of forceful religious indoctrination and we maintain our stand against it.”

    “Government has no right to force subjects on any any Nigerian child neither does it have the authority to drop Christian Religious Studies at the Senior Secondary School level while asking him/her to continue to read Islamic Studies which he/she cannot do at university level,” Oyedepo said, emphasising that by stopping CRS, automatically meant that it would not be embraced at the tertiary institutions.

    Citing a case in Kwara State where a Christian female student was allegedly beaten and forced to take Arabic Studies against her wish, Omobude expressed concern at the contention and controversy that have attended the revised Basic Education Curriculum, especially the unnecessary collapse of CRS as part of an omnibus subject known as Religion and National Values.

  • Cleric urges Christians to intensify prayers for Nigeria’s unity

    Cleric urges Christians to intensify prayers for Nigeria’s unity

    Christians and other Nigerians have been urged to intensify prayers for the nation’s unity and harmonious co-existence of all ethnic groups.

    Rev. Emmanuel Adeniyi of the Banner of Christ Church, Adegbayi, Ibadan, made the call in his sermon to mark anniversary of the Church choir on Sunday.

    Adeniyi expressed concern over unpleasant utterances among some youths from various ethnic groups across the country.

    He noted that “war of tongues is dangerous and inimical to the unity and progress of any nation’’.

    “Hate speeches and utterances are capable of setting any nation on fire, therefore we should refrain from all acts that can tamper with the unity and age- long harmonious co-existence of all Nigerians.

    “It behooves on us as Christians to intensify prayers for continuous peaceful co-existence of the citizenry irrespective of ethnic affiliation.

    “Let us use the weapon of prayer to fight the satanic forces that want to destabilise the unity of our great country.

    “The creator is on the throne to intervene in our case if we sincerely come to Him and seek for assistance.“ the cleric said.

    Adeniyi further urged the church choir members to use their talents in singing songs that edify God and as well as win souls.

    He admonished them not to be influenced by worldly things and abstain from all forms of anti-social vices.

  • “Oh Lord deliver Nigeria”, Christians declare prayers for Buhari’s administration

    An interdenominational praise and prayer team has declared an extraordinary night of prayers with the view to liberate the country Nigeria from the shackles of the prevailing economic realities for June.

    In a chat with TheNewsGuru correspondent in Sapele, Delta state, the host of the programme, Akporero Emmanuel Best, said, “We believe Nigeria is in bondage — beyond the control of the leadership — and we believe only prayers can set Nigeria free from the satanic manipulations”.

    ImageFile: “Oh Lord deliver Nigeria”, Christians declare prayers for Buhari’s administration
    “Oh Lord deliver Nigeria” organizers mounting banners in preparation for the interdenominational church programme

    Akporero stated it is become imperative and inevitable to praise and pray the nation out of the prevailing economic bondage that reached all time low in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, adding that only divine intervention is needed if the country must surmount the prevailing challenges.

    “With what we all understand in Nigeria, things were better than what we are experiencing today; the government seems not to have bearings. The leaders do not care about the welfare of citizens whether they are faring well or not.

    “We have all the resources God has blessed us with but we still pass through hard times in what they have called economic recession.

    “They said the economy is recovering but nothing has proved that the economy is actually recovering.

    “Nigerians who graduated long ago are still jobless. The unemployment rate wasn’t like this in the 70s, 80s and early 90s.

    “People are dying of poverty, no money for proper medical treatment, no quality health care delivery, no good roads, no stable light, no good water supply and companies are folding up,” Akporero said.

    “We need to pray and praise God like Paul and Silas did while in the Prison. Nigeria is nothing but a prison, and as God intervened to set Paul and Silas free, God will be merciful to set us free.

    “I pray God delivered us because we need God’s hand in this Country Nigeria. If we are delivered Nigeria is delivered,” he added.

    He conclusively advised that “Nigerian leaders should have the mind of love and feel the pains of the masses, and embark in projects, and enact and implement only policies that will benefit the citizenry,” adding: “If the citizens are liberated, it will affect the overall fortune of the nation”.

    Akporero, also known as Federal Evangelist, revealed the interdenominational programme, which he said is packed full with anointed men of God, and praise and worship leaders to intercede for the nation, will hold 9th June 2017 at the Cathedral Church of St. Andrews Sapele beginning at 0020GMT.