The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria(PFN) has enjoined Christians in the country to use every legitimate means at their disposal to defend themselves in the event of an attack from any religious group in any part of the country.
In a press statement signed by the PFN President, Dr. Mike Okonkwo, he said the advise became necessary in view of the spates of horror unleashed on hapless Christians in the northern part of the country over the years.
The PFN also said it has become important that Christians in the country begin to re-determine their focus in the sense of self defence and preservation.
"As much as Jihadists can aggress so can we retaliate, as much as the terrorists will continue to withhold their peace much more are we determined to ward off aggression," the release said.
It warned that Christians can no longer be taken for granted in any part of the country as the country belongs to Christians just as it belongs to others with different religious persuasion.
The PFN acknowledged that some key peace loving Moslem leaders in the country always condemn without equivocation the unleashing of terror on Christians in the Northern part of the country which have claimed the lives and property worth billions of Naira. The organization sounded an alarm that some Islamic fundamentalists have perfected plans to destabilize the country with the Church as their main targets.
The PFN said the fundamentalists who, "are believed to be sympathetic to the heinous and condemnable acts of terrorism championed by Osama Bin Laden have also perfected plans to extend their operations to Lagos, Osogbo, Ibadan and other major cities of the South."
Tracing the genesis of religious crisis in the country, it said that the modus operandi of these attackers have remained the same over the years as "they supposedly go for Jumat from where a premeditated action to unleash terror on hapless Christians is taken."
According to the PFN although Christians at any point in time have never been known to fire the first shot they have been made to bear the brunt of terrorism without commensurate compensation by the authorities.
The organisation also wondered why at the end of each attacks peace initiatives are set in motion by the governments but no culprit is ever arrested to be made to face the wrath of the law.
PFN blames the growth of the phenomena on what it termed the "helplessness of the governments, both at the Federal and the States level" which Jihadists exploit .