Some members of Board of
Trustees, the Christian Association of Nigeria have been quizzed by
operatives of the Department of State Services for appearing in a video
some Christians leaders are allegedly using to solicit funds for the
rebuilding of churches destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in the
North-East
Debris of a destroyed church by Boko Haram insurgents
Punch
reports have it that four prominent members of the organisation’s BoT,
who are also leaders of National Christian Elders Forum, were on Tuesday
January 7 interrogated for four hours at the DSS headquarters in Abuja.
Among
those that were interrogated by the DSS according to Punch were a
former Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro (retd.),
representing TEKAN/ECWA bloc of CAN; a retired High Court Judge,
Justice Kalajine Anigbogu, representing the Christian Council of Nigeria
bloc; Mrs. Osaretin Demuren, representing the Organisation of African
Instituted Churches and a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Lemo, representing the Christian Pentecostal
Fellowship of Nigeria and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria.
Sources
further told Punch that a former President of the Nigerian Bar
Association, Dame Priscilla Kuye (SAN), representing the Catholic bloc;
President of the National Christian Elders’ Forum, Solomon Asemota, its
General Secretary, Bosun Emmanuel and many others would be invited for
questioning by the DSS soon.
Others expected to be
interrogated also include the President of CAN, Dr. Samson Supo Ayokunle
and its General Secretary, Dr. Musa Asake.
One
of the personalities quizzed by the DSS said they were told to explain
why they appeared in the video which showed footages of the carnage and
destruction unleashed on churches in the North-East by the members of
the Boko Haram Islamic sect, alleging that it was an inciting video.
According
to one of the leaders quizzed, the DSS asked them to give reasons they
appeared in a video that showed recordings of the carnage and
destruction unleashed on churches in the North-East by Boko Haram
insurgents
He said:“We spent over
four hours at the DSS headquarters on Tuesday evening and they were
asking us the motive behind the video. The grouse of the DSS was that we
appeared in the video soliciting for funds to rebuild churches
destroyed by Boko Haram. They specifically told us that the video which
showed burnt churches was inciting.”
“They asked us why we produced
a video like that having blood and demolished buildings. We are just
members of the BoT of CAN Trust Fund. I suspect that they will cajole us
to remove the video but that is not possible because we are for
Christ,” the source stated.
According
to the director of Legal and Public Affairs in CAN, Kwamkur Samuel, who
confirmed the incident to Punch, he said: “I accompanied them to the
DSS headquarters; CAN would be watching as the situation unfolds.”
He added: “When
the Christian elders were invited, they wondered why all of them,
particularly those who appeared in the video. They drew the attention of
the CAN President who directed me to write a letter to the DSS to tell
them that those they invited are members of the CAN Trust Fund Board of
Trustees. But they didn’t reply the letter. If their invitation has
anything to do with CAN, they should invite CAN leadership and that was
why I went with them to the DSS. We are studying the situation.”
However,
CAN president noted that the main objective of the CAN Trust Fund was
“to make CAN more effective to represent and protect the interests of
Christians and all Christian institutions in Nigeria.”
He said: “The
CAN Trust Fund is operating on a simple process of encouraging
individual Christians in Nigeria to make a token monthly donation of
N500 (it could be more or less) to CAN. The fund has been designed in
such a manner that it would not affect the financial commitment of
Christians to their denominations or local assemblies. A Board of
Trustees made up of eminent and principled Nigerian Christians will
manage the funds and ensure transparency and accountability.”
In the video below, Borno state
government, some months back said it was ready to rebuild churches
destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in the state.
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