CAN offering itself for agenda to destabilize Nigeria – Group

*Chides religious body for undermining DSS

*As NGO urges clerics to promote peace among Nigerians

“We can excuse individual religious leaders for holding their views, even if they do so with obvious reasons that threaten national security, but we cannot excuse same when it becomes obvious that it’s an agenda for a certain group to cause civil disorder using established platforms such as CAN. I am afraid ladies and gentlemen, this is what CAN is doing at the moment.”

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been chided for its attempt to undermine the Department of State Services (DSS) over the Service’s effort to save the country and her good people from the evils of some local and foreign agents plotting to destabilize the country.

Making the condemnation was the Save Nigeria Movement (SNM), while enjoining religious leaders to promote peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

The group, in a statement, expressed concern over the conduct of some religious leaders who had been inflaming passions along religious lines aimed at breaching the peace in the country.

It, particularly, frowned at the CAN, which it accused of offering its religious platforms for the destabilisation agents to achieve their aims.

The SNM blamed the Christians’ apex body over a statement credited to it and signed by its Vice President (North), which cast aspersions on the custodian of nation’s secret, the DSS, for alerting Nigerians on the ploy by certain elements to create crisis using religious platforms ahead of 2023 politics.

The group maintained that such position was uncalled for, unnecessary, unfounded and most despicable as it was least expected of the apex organization representing the body of Christ.

It noted: “We can excuse individual religious leaders for holding their views, even if they do so with obvious reasons that threaten national security, but we cannot excuse same when it becomes obvious that it’s an agenda for a certain group to cause civil disorder using established platforms such as CAN. I am afraid ladies and gentlemen, this is what CAN is doing at the moment.

“The body of Christ in Nigeria has never been muzzled. If there was any urge to do that, a lot of religious leaders would not be free today. we expect that religious leaders would use their platforms to preach and promote peace rather than inflame passions and discredit security agencies.”

The group enjoined CAN to immediately offer apologies to Nigerians over attempt by its vice president North to undermine the DSS just as it urged Nigerians to remain focused and determined to abide by the way of peace and unity at all times.

It will be recalled the DSS had on Monday alerted Nigerians over plots by some elements locally working with with some foreign collaborators to incite religious violence in Nigeria.

Targeted states for the execution of these plots, the DSS said, include Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Rivers, Oyo, Lagos and those in the South East.

Part of the plans, it said, is to cause inter-religious conflicts as well as use their foot soldiers to attack some worship centres, religious leaders, personalities, key and vulnerable points.

It however advised Nigerians to be wary of these antics and shun all divisive tendencies aimed at inciting or setting them against one another.

Pledging to collaborate with sister agencies to ensure that public order is maintained, the Service warned those hatching the plots to desist from such in the interest of peace, security and development of the country, while encouraging law abiding people in the country to report suspected breaches of peace around them to the nearest security agencies.

The DEFENDER reports that the CAN baffles many observers security situation in the country when, under 24 hours, statement indicating opposition to security alert by the DSS came from the apex organisation that is supposedly of the body of Christ.