AFRICA : NIGERIA : CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT

Agenzia Fides REPORT – Armed men attacked the All Saints Catholic Church, in the State of Gombe, in Nigeria on Sunday, August 12, killing one policeman on duty who was protecting the place of worship. According to testimonies collected by the local media, the armed group arrived at the church when the faithful were coming out of the church service and shot the policemen. The killers then tried to get in the church, but the faithful were able to close the door of the church before they could enter.
Meanwhile, the Police in the State of Kogi arrested 16 people suspected of being involved in the assault last week at the Deeper Life Bible Church (see Fides 08/08/2012) and the killing of two soldiers in another attack. In Maiduguri, in the State of Borno (north-east of Nigeria) security forces killed 20 suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.
The insecurity conditions created by the Islamist Boko Haram sect in northern Nigeria are creating tensions in the country, to the point that the individual Christian Associations of Nigeria (CAN) of 19 Northern states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have asked President Goodluck Jonathan to resign because he was not able to promptly address the insurgency led by Boko Haram.
CAN (which brings together the main Christian denominations in Nigeria and is present in all the States of the Federation) has expressed its disappointment because of a statement attributed to President Jonathan according to whom members of Boko Haram "are our brothers and we cannot use the army to wipe out your family." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 13/8/2012)

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