On Sunday, the Christian Association of Nigeria in Taraba State condemned a viral video on social media in which an Islamic cleric urged Muslims in the state to rise up and seize political power.
The Christian organisation said in a statement issued in Jalingo and signed by the State CAN Chairman, Rev. Isaiah Magaji-Jirapye, that it saw the many videos being circulated on social media as premeditated conspiracies by outside forces unhappy with the peace Taraba is experiencing.
According to Jirapye’s statement, the state has a long history of religious tolerance and peaceful cohabitation between Christians and Muslims.
The statement read, “The attention of the Taraba State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria has been drawn to several video clips of Islamic Clerics from outside Taraba State, threatening religious war and the establishment of a sharia Islamic government in Taraba over the recent APC governorship primaries in the state in which a Christian, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha was announced the winner.
“The messages of these clerics stand condemned by all reasonable individuals. We call for their immediate arrest and question why they are interested in setting up Taraba in flames.
“Our tolerance has been why we are still exempted from the religious carnage ongoing in some states. We urge the APC to settle their party issues without bringing in religion.
“CAN is not a partisan organisation but has observed with dismayed the threats on Christians in Taraba State and an attempt to instigate religious unrest from some Islamic Clerics from across Nigeria.
“CAN in Taraba state and indeed well-meaning Nigerians are shocked that a purely political party affair could be given a religious colouration and draws such segregation capable of destabilizing the entire nation,” the statement read.
The statement urged intelligence services and the federal government to act quickly to catch and convict the individuals in the videos before they cause unnecessary killing in Taraba state and Nigeria.
