Kaduna appears set to explode again as the state branch of the Youth Christian Association of Nigeria (Youth CAN) warned yesterday that it would no longer fold its arms against allegations of selective killing of Christians in parts of the state.
This alarm was raised just as Christians in Tawafa Balewa and Bogoro local governments called on President Olusegun Obasanjo to declare a state of emergency in the councils.
In February and May last year, violence had swept through Kaduna metropolis and environs as indigenous Muslims and Christians in the state clashed over alleged plans then by the state government to introduce the Sharia law.
"Government should beef up security all over the state to protect Christians and prevent a re-currence of last year's crisis, the Kaduna youth CAN said at a press conference, adding that, "CAN shall continue to resist all forms of religious intolerance in the state as nobody has any monopoly of violence in Kaduna State."
Specifically, CAN alleged that Christians in Narayi, a suburb of Kaduna and Kateri village, located on the Kaduna-Abuja road, have been subjected to various forms of intimidation.
"Two weeks ago, also, and precisely on August 8, 2001 or thereabouts, a bomb was discovered planted in Narayi village, a predominantly Christian settlement. It took the combined effort and ingenuity of the police bomb disposal outfit and the army to discover and remove the said bomb," said the chairman.
Chairman of Youth CAN, Mr. Danladi Yerima and Secretary, Mr. Sunday Oibe, who jointly addressed the press conference at the CAN secretariat on Ibrahim Taiwo Road.
According to the group, "the most devastating of this surreptitious plan by the Muslims is the wanton destruction of lives and property in Birnin-Gwari (on the Kaduna-Lagos Road) on August 21, 2001.
"A corpse was discovered in Birnin-Gwari and the Muslims concluded that whoever killed that person must be a Christian. Muslims went on the rampage and as at August 22, 2001, three Christians had been confirmed slaughtered.
"Two of these victims had earlier taken refuge at the Birnin-Gwari police station but were brought out by the rampaging Muslims, and murdered in cold blood, while other Christians fled into the bush for safety.
"There has been no word from government and till now, no arrest has been made."
Apparently alarmed that the situation may recur, CAN demanded the unconditional withdrawal of all Christian civil servants working in Birnin-Gwari and their reposting to more humane areas as a panacea to peaceful co-existence in that war-torn environment.
A text of the press briefing read in part: "The attention of the Youth CAN, Kaduna State has been drawn, once more to another round of skirmishes resulting in unwarranted killings of Christians in certain parts of Kaduna State.
"Kaduna State has hardly fully recuperated from the blood bath of year 2000 when incidence of brutal attacks were unleashed on law-abiding Christians in certain parts of the state.
"CAN deems it proper to bring to the notice of both government and the general public that it can no longer continue to embrace peace when its members are being harassed, intimidated, maimed and killed by intolerant and fanatical Muslim faithfuls.
"This release has become imperative particularly as it is apparent that the state government is pretending to be ignorant of these happenings even in the face of torture and elimination of Christians.
"We call on Christians to be clam, law-abiding and pray for the unity and progress of Kaduna State."
Meanwhile, the Nigeria CAN in Tafawa-Balewa and Bogoro Local Government Areas of Bauchi State, has called on Obasanjo to declare a state of emergency in the area. This followed the persistent killings of Christians in the areas by people suspected to be Chadian Jihadists.
A statement jointly signed by the chairmen and secretaries of CAN in the two local governments, Reverend Markus Musa, Micheal Lulu, Rev. Eluwa and Yunusa Manzo respectively stated that the call became necessary because the state government was in support of the killings in order to exterminate Christians in the state.
This development, the statement noted, is not only a threat to national security, but to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
While noting that the Muslim Jihadists first invaded the two local governments between June and August this year when the state government attempted to extend the implementation of Sharia to the areas, the statement added that the invasion led to the death of over 200 Christians and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.
Justifying the call for declaration of state of emergency, CAN said that there was actually a breakdown of law, public peace and security in the areas, arguing that there can only be restoration of peace and security through an urgent constitutional measure.
It would be recalled that religious crisis broke out in the two local governments early this year following attempt by the state government to extend the implementation of Sharia to the areas which have a high concentration of Christians.