FG To Christian, Islamic Leaders: Boko Haram Determined To Spark Religious War

The Federal Government has appealed to Christian and Islamic leaders in the country not to fall for the plot of the Boko Haram Islamic insurgents to spark religious war through their targeted attacks of Christians and Christian communities.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed raised the alarm at a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

The government had in the past claimed to have defeated and then technically defeated Boko Haram four years ago.

“Recall that Boko Haram insurgents didn’t use to discriminate between Christians and Muslims when they carried out their attacks in the past.

“Churches and mosques, Christians and Muslims were attacked without discrimination.

“When they targeted motor parks, the religion, gender, ethnicity or political leaning of the victims didn’t matter, as long as they inflicted the maximum damage to lives and property.

“But in the wake of a renewed onslaught by our tireless military against Boko Haram and their ISWAP allies in recent times, the insurgents have apparently changed their strategy:

“They have started targeting Christians and Christian villages for a specific reason, which is to trigger a religious war and throw the nation into chaos.

“Apparently, they have realised how emotive and divisive religion can be, when exploited by unscrupulous persons,” he said.

The minister noted that the insurgents, who deluded themselves as Muslims, were nothing more than “blood-thirsty, rapacious killers who subscribe to no religion”,

He stressed that they were deliberately targeting Christians to sow the seed of confusion between the two religions.

The minister buttressed the government position with the attack on a Christian village, Kwarangulum, near Chibok and the killing of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika local government in Adamawa, Lawan Andimi.

He also cited the incidence of the killing of NRopvil Daciya Dalep, a student who was also a member of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN); and the killing of 11 Christians on Christmas Eve.

Mohammed said that some had misinterpreted the attacks to insinuate a systematic campaign to persecute Christians in the country.

“This is absurd, and very unfair to the men and women who are daily battling the insurgents.

“The truth is that, having run out of options in their battle against Nigeria, the insurgents are desperate to stay relevant, to stay in the news, hence their cowardly and senseless strategy targeting Christians, as part of their increasing resort to the use of Guerilla tactics,” he said.

The minister appealed to religious leaders, both Christians and Muslims, not to fall for the desperate move by the insurgents or allow them to divide the country and weaken the resolve to deal the insurgents the mortal blow.

“Contrary to the belief in certain quarters, these insurgents are getting weaker by the day, thanks to the gallantry of our men and women in uniform.

“We therefore, appeal to our leaders, especially religious leaders, not to fall for the antics of Boko Haram and ISWAP, who are trying to divide us along religious lines by targeting Christians for attacks.

He listed the successes to include, the killing of top ISWAP leaders at two separate meeting venues at Marte Local Government in Borno State and a successful attack against the leadership of Boko Haram in Alafa Yagayaga in Borno earlier in the month.

The minister also cited the killing of Boko Haram Chief Judge in Lake Chad and the in-fighting in the leadership cadre of Boko Haram which he said was a fallout of the pressure on the insurgents by the military.

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