The Christian Association of Nigeria has called on all its members to embark on a peaceful protest nationwide to demand justice for the slain Shehu Shagari College of Education student, Deborah Yakubu.
Yakubu was stoned by a mob and set ablaze for alleged blasphemy on Thursday afternoon. Her killing generated outrage among Nigerians.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, on Saturday, CAN President, Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle, directed all secretariats to stage the protest on Saturday, May 22, 2022.
The statement titled, ‘A Request for Nationwide Peaceful Protests, Calling for Justice for Deborah Yakubu’, urged Nigerians in the diaspora to also stage protests at Nigerian embassies worldwide.
“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 organise a peaceful protest in honour of one of our daughters, Deborah Yakubu, who was gruesomely murdered on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto in Sokoto State by some Islamic extremists.
“The protest will take place on May 22, 2022, in the afternoon by 3:00 pm in every Secretariat of the Christian Association of Nigeria 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 messages 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 wide coverage in order to sensitise the whole world. We also call on Nigerian Christians in the 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.”