NIGERIA: Christians set up relief fund for Boko Haram victims

Record ID: 235993

  • Title: NIGERIA: Christians set up relief fund for Boko Haram victims
  • Date: 4th March 2013
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (MARCH 4, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN-AMERICANS (CANAN) AND CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN) OFFICIALS SEATED AT NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA AT CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN-AMERICANS, JAMES FADELE, SAYING: "Christians are being killed, churches are being attacked and destroyed, health workers and doctors are being assassinated, markets are being ravaged, police precincts are being vanquished, and neighbourhoods are being tormented. Again, this act of wickedness must stop." VARIOUS OF VICTIMS OF BOKO HARAM VIOLENCE LISTENING IN AUDIENCE CANAN LEADERS DURING NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF BOKO HARAM VICTIMS LISTENING IN AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN-AMERICANS, JAMES FADELE, SAYING: "Towards such a fund, CANAN is making an initial widow's mite contribution of 50,000 dollars. If backers of terrorists are raising the money to perpetuate acts of terror, supporters of and advocates of peace can no longer look the other way." MEDIA AT CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PASTOR OF ALL SAINTS PROTESTANT CHURCH, KANO STATE, SARANA CHINDA, SAYING: "They call that state a Muslim state, that is how they take it so that is the reason every Christian cannot breath there because of the, even to go church is hard there, that is the reason some people, you see them, they can't hold bible to go to church. unless you are in Sabon Gari (local town in Kano) but Sharada (local town in Kano) side, you can't hold bible because they can terminate your life." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS A VICTIM OF BOKO HARAM CRYING WHILE BEING CONSOLED BY A CANAN OFFICIAL
  • Embargoed: 19th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVACM63ZC5LP2SFKBB1RM55GE7I0
  • Story Text: The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) joined forces with the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) on Monday (March 4) to set up a relief fund for victims of the Boko Haram group.
    In a news briefing held in the capital Abuja, James Fadele, chairman of CANAN, said urgent action was needed to stop the attacks in northern Nigeria.
    "Christians are being killed, churches are being attacked and destroyed, health workers and doctors are being assassinated, markets are being ravaged, police precincts are being vanquished, and neighbourhoods are being tormented. Again, this act of wickedness must stop," he said.
    Boko Haram is waging a bloody insurgency against the state that has killed at least 3,000 people across northern Nigeria since 2009.
    Fadele added that the fund will support family members and relatives of those who have been attacked by Boko Haram militants.
    "Towards such a fund, CANAN is making an initial widow's mite contribution of 50,000 dollars. If backers of terrorists are raising the money to perpetuate acts of terror, supporters of and advocates of peace can no longer look the other way," he said.
    Eight members of the All Saints Protestant Church in Kano state died in attacks in February.
    "They call that state a Muslim state, that is how they take it so that is the reason every Christian cannot breath there because of the, even to go church is hard there, that is the reason some people, you see them, they can't hold bible to go to church. unless you are in Sabon Gari (local town in Kano) but Sharada (local town in Kano) side, you can't hold bible because they can terminate your life," said the pastor of All Saints Protestant Church, Saranda Chinda.
    Western governments fear Boko Haram, or factions of it, has linked up with other groups in the region, including al Qaeda's North African franchise.
    Attacks in northern Nigeria are increasingly targeting foreign interests, especially since France's operation last month to flush Islamists out of northern Mali, to which Nigeria has committed hundreds of troops.
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