CAN Condemns Kano, Jos Bomb Explosions

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 21, (THEWILL) â€' The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the bomb explosions which rocked the cities of Kano and Jos, killing hundreds and injuring many others.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, condemned the recent bomb explosions in Kano and Jos in which many lives were lost and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

According to the CAN President, 'The dastardly act reminds us of the evil that has continued to ravage communities, villages and other productive segments of our society.'

Oritsejafor said CAN condemns the unprovoked attack on innocent Nigerians in the name of religion, politics or ethnic ideology and calls on Nigerians to rise strongly against such acts.

'I commiserate with the victims of the two attacks while praying God to give the families of the deceased the fortitude to bear their losses.

'I recall that in a similar attack in Nyanya last month, I called on Nigerians not to despair or lose hope in government or in their country and also emphasized the need for citizens to remain committed in prayers, be vigilant and to carefully observe happenings around them.

'I will like to state again for clarity sake, `this war is not for the military alone, soldiers don't go to war, it is a nation that goes to war, so we must understand our roles as citizens in this fight.

'It is now obvious that the insurgents are losing grounds hence their resolve to hit soft targets such as innocent women and children in market places. This is clear in the recent attacks in both Kano and Jos,' the statement added.

Oritsejafor called on Nigerians, especially Christians, to remain vigilant, supportive of government and most importantly remain prayerful, saying they should not succumb to the wishes of the criminals.

He however appealed for support for the Nigerian troops by all citizens and the policy makers, stressing that whatever the troops require to win the battle should be provided by government. He also advised that more personnel should be recruited into the armed forces while arrangement should be made for additional procurement of equipment for this fight.

'I know these times are difficult for all of us â€' troops, leaders, citizens and even our foreign partners, but we cannot bow to the wishes of the insurgents at this time, we must do our bits as community and religious leaders, policy makers and even the average citizen, this fight is against Nigeria.

'CAN supports government's directive for additional deployment of troops to conflict prone areas and the distribution of relief materials to victims of the crisis,' Oritsejafor added.

He also called on Christians all over the country to continue with the prayer programme initiated by the association for peace and unity in the nation.