The Department of State Services, DSS, has invited members of the Board of Trustees of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, over a video showing the destruction of some churches in the north east. The video was allegedly being used by Christian leaders to raise funds for the reconstruction of worship centers destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.
According to the Punch, four key members of CAN’s BoT, who are also leaders of the National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, were questioned for four hours on Tuesday evening at the DSS headquarters in Abuja.
Those that were interrogated by the DSS included 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.
Sources told the newspaper that a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dame Priscilla Kuye (SAN), representing the Catholic bloc; President of the National Christian Elders’ Forum, Solomon Asemota, its General Secretary, Bosun Emmanuel and many others would be invited for questioning by the DSS soon.
Also to be interrogated include the President of CAN, Dr. Samson Supo Ayokunle and its General Secretary, Dr. Musa Asake.
One of the personalities interrogated by the security service disclosed that they were asked to explain why they appeared in the video which showed footages of the carnage and destruction unleashed on churches in the North-East by the members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, alleging that it was an inciting video.
He said, “We spent over four hours at the DSS headquarters on Tuesday evening and they were asking us the motive behind the video. The grouse of the DSS was that we appeared in the video soliciting for funds to rebuild churches destroyed by Boko Haram. They specifically told us that the video which showed burnt churches was inciting.
“They asked us why we produced a video like that having blood and demolished buildings. We are just members of the BoT of CAN Trust Fund. I suspect that they will cajole us to remove the video but that is not possible because we are for Christ,” the source stated.
The Director of Legal and Public Affairs in CAN, Kwamkur Samuel, while confirming the invitation said, “I accompanied them to the DSS headquarters; CAN would be watching as the situation unfolds.
“When the Christian elders were invited, they wondered why all of them, particularly those who appeared in the video. They drew the attention of the CAN President who directed me to write a letter to the DSS to tell them that those they invited are members of the CAN Trust Fund Board of Trustees.
“But they didn’t reply the letter. If their invitation has anything to do with CAN, they should invite CAN leadership and that was why I went with them to the DSS. We are studying the situation.”
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