CAN Calls For Nationwide Protest Over Deborah Samuel’s Murder

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN has called for a nationwide protest over the gruesome killing of Deborah Samuel, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto. 

The CAN President, Rev. Olasupo Ayokunle, in a letter addressed to all bloc leaders, urged Christians to hold peaceful protests within their church premises on Sunday, May 22, 2022.

He made the call against the backdrop of the Thursday killing and setting ablaze of the female student by an angry mob that accused her of blasphemy.

The letter dated May 14, 2022 and signed by CAN’s General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, reads: “I have been directed by the CAN President, His Eminence, Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle, to request all Church Leaders, through your various Churches to organize a PEACEFUL PROTEST in honour of one of our daughters, DEBORAH YAKUBU who was gruesomely murdered on Thursday, 12 May, 2022 at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto in Sokoto State by some Islamic extremists.

The protest will take place on 22 May, 2022 in the afternoon by 3:00 Pm in every Secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) nationwide and not on the streets in order to avoid further loss of lives. Those without CAN’s Secretariat may use any church with big premises.

“We are to hold placards with some succinct message like “WE DEMAND JUSTICE 4 DEBORAH,” “NO MORE KILLING IN GOD’S NAME”, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” “POLICE, STOP UNPROVOKED KILLINGS IN NIGERIA,” “CHRISTIANS ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS,” “KILLERS OF DEBORAH MUST BE PROSECUTED,” “WE CONDEMN RELIGIOUS KILLINGS,” “WE SAY NO TO ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS.”

“We urge those who could afford it to make use of the traditional media and the social media and others can use only the social media to give it a wide coverage in other to sensitize the whole world. We also call on Nigerian Christians in diaspora to join us using our embassies all over the world.

“The occasion can also be used to pray for Deborah’s family and friends, peace for the country, victory for the Church and godly political leaders in the coming general election.”