The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has demanded apology from the Department of State Services, DSS, over detention of four members of its Trustfund Board of Trustees.
The demand was contained in a protest letter by the Director of Legal and Public Affairs in CAN, Kwamkur Samuel, to the DG of DSS, Mamman Daura
CAN Specifically asked the DSS to be “more circumspect in dealing with the Body of Christ in Nigeria, if not for any other reason, but to ensure and promote the confidence of the average Nigerian Christian in the government of the day.”
Samuel said, “Regrettably, despite assurances from your operatives, led by the Director of Operations, who said that the invitation was only to interact with these distinguished Nigerian Christians and to seek their opinion and advice on how to address the lingering ethno-religious crises in Nigeria, it turned out that the main reason behind the invitation was your interest in the video jingle produced by CAN, under the slogan “I C A N support”, to raise funds for the support of the Church and distressed Christians in Nigeria.
“It was shocking to hear from your establishment that these materials were made to incite violence in response to the attempted annihilation of the Church in Southern Kaduna. With all due respect, such analysis and conclusion were vexatious and very wrong.
“Unfortunately, you ignored our request while also insisting that the persons invited should report to your Head Office as a matter of extreme urgency, individually and on different dates. The most worrisome and reprehensible aspect of the whole exercise is that these respectable Nigerians, with the exception of General Dogonyaro, were compelled to write statements “under caution” as if they were common criminals”.
CAN said the invited personalities were neither members of its National Executive Committee nor members of its Registered Board of Trustees “and so did not deserve the action you took against them.
“Having considered the negative effect of your interrogation of the distinguished members of the Board of Trustees of the CAN Trust Fund on the Christian Community in Nigeria, the leadership of CAN hereby demands that a written public apology be tendered to these distinguished Nigerians.”
According to him, “CAN will always be predisposed to dialogue with the DSS on issues relating to the the general peaceful coexistence of the ethnic nationalities and religious communities in Nigeria.”
Those interrogated by the DSS were a former Chief of General Staff, during the administration of IBB, Lt. Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro (retd), representing TEKAN/ECWA Bloc of CAN; a retired High Court Judge, Justice Kalajine Anigbogu, representing Christian Council of Nigeria Bloc; Mrs. Osaretin Demuren, representing Organization of African Instituted Churches and a former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Lemo, representing Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria.
A former President of Nigerian Bar Association, Dame Priscilla Kuye (SAN), representing the Catholic Bloc, President of NCEF, Solomon Asemota (SAN); its General Secretary, Bosun Emmanuel and others were scheduled to be invited for questioning by the DSS in subsequent weeks.
Others billed for interrogation include the President of CAN, Dr. Samson Supo Ayokunle and its General Secretary, Dr. Musa Asake.
Comments