CHRISTIAN Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Jama'atu Nastril Islam (JNI) have been trading accusations over the riot that engulfed Makarfi local government. The incident led to the burning of some places of worship in the state. Both groups addressed separate press conferences in the state, accusing each other of incitement. CAN at a press conference addressed by the Vice Chairman of CAN, The Rev. Sam Kujyat and the state secretary, Rev. Joseph Hayat condemned alleged inability of the government to punish religious fanatics who killed and maimed people in the past, saying that enough was enough. The Association also withdrew from the state religious leaders committee (although temporarily) in protest against alleged poor handling of religious issues in the past by the authorities. Jama'atu Nastril Islam (JNI) on its part frowned at the attitude of Christians towards Muslims in the state, citing alleged use of media houses by Christians to provoke Muslims.

CAN in a statement entitled "The Emerging Dangerous Trend in Kaduna State" said: "Between the year 2000 and 2002, Kaduna State witnessed three bloody religious clashes which have today led to the segregation of the inhabitants into two Groups on the basis of religious safety in the state capital, Kaduna. Kaduna North today is being occupied predominantly by the Muslims while other Kaduna South is being occupied predominantly by Christians and other non-Muslims.

"It is to the credit of the State Government that it got really worried by these ugly developments, and has been making concerted efforts for dialogue with both Muslim and Christian religious leaders in the state to promote the culture of peaceful co-existence through setting up of various sub-committees that have been meeting regularly even to the stage of signing a Peace Accord between Christians and Muslims in 2002. The efforts of Government in this direction have been very commendable. "However, it is most unfortunate that, while Government and sincere peace-loving Christians and Muslims are making all these efforts, some selfish, misguided people have consistently taken cover in the Muslim religion to not only undermine, but also to frustrate Government's efforts to the peril of Christians and non-Muslims. "Today, these peace-haters, that love to loot, kill and destroy, and who love to intimidate and terrorize Christians, peace-loving Muslims that oppose their mission, and non-Muslims in the society who hide under the Muslim religion to perpetrate their wicked acts to cause pain.

Without any investigation, these people suddenly turn into a ferocious angry mob that takes the law into their hands that no security agency other than an Armored vehicle can stop. They go on the rampage to attack, main and kill Christians and adherents of other religions while chanting in the Arabic language, "God is Great' God is Great' "This is exactly what happened last Saturday, April 04, 2004, in Makarfi, the very hometown of our peace loving state governor, Alhaji Mohammed Ahmed Makarfi, who happened to have just traveled out of the country, a day or two before that.

From our initial investigation and on the spot assessment of the damages, we learnt that an unsubstantiated accusation was made that a Christian passing by some young children attending an Islamiya School where he snatched a copy of the Koran and tore it to pieces.

JNI in its statement entitled: "THE DARK CLOUD OVER MAKARFI TOWN said: "last Saturday, 3rd April, 2004 witnessed the emergence of monster under the guise of religious crisis, an event which actual immediate cause is not yet ascertained as at the time of this press conference on 8th April, 2004; special thanks to almighty Allah that no life was lost. But, for the property lost and damaged, we sympathize with the victims and those three people wounded, who were successfully treated and discharged before today.

"However, we want to assert that Islam does not condone any act of violence, aggression, victimization, intimidation and assault on non-Muslims. Neither does Islam tolerate the concept of jungle justice against a perceived enemy or wrong doer. "As Muslims, Almighty Allah ordained us to believe in the principle of procedural justice. Hence, we affirm the structural legal process of the law which is available in our state. Muslim has no right to take law into his hand. JNI supports that anybody found breaching the law, irrespective of his tribe, religion or position should be dealt with in accordance with the due process of the law.

"The Jama'atu wants the State Government to investigate the remote and the immediate causes of the crisis in Makarfi that creates mistrust and demonize one another across the State and Northern Nigeria.

"However, the JNI wishes to make some clarification that would help the government and the security agencies identify the remote centre of the crisis and other tensions across the Northern region religiously.

"We want to alert the Federal Government and the State Government that terrorists, hiding under religion here invaded Kaduna state and that unless something is done to identify and fish them out, what is happening in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Spain, etc may be lurking in the cornerā-oe"

"This is a malicious unsubstantiated allegation far from the truth. The reality is that many of the evangelical organizations under the Christian Association of Nigeria, are circulating inciting leaflets, books in English, Arabic, Ajami and Hausa containing message of hates and demonization of Muslims and their faith across Northern Nigeria, among their followers. Extract from one of this leaflet released by Four Square Church [Assembly of His Excellency] Asokoro plot 1787, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Abuja reads: "pray that God'sā-oe. bind and destroy the influence of the spirit of Islam over the Northern region of the country. Pray that the Lord will have us up towards the task of pushing back the gates of Islam.

"Members of the press is this not inciting enough to create violence? There are other inciting statements/ documents by moth prayer c/o of P.O.Box 211 Jos, Plateau State, and other Video and Audio tapes that project Christian Choir Groups dressing in typical Islamic dress code e.g Muzica now on air in our Radio and Television stations like KSTV, KSMC, Kaduna as carried out by our Zealous Christian staff of KSMC. Which is a clear deliberate attempt to provoke the Muslim youths and incite them to violent reaction which created an opening for disgruntled elements to use restless and frustration youths towards achieving their socio- economic and Political ambitions.

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