Denial of Christian genocide is injustice to victims, faith of community – Northern CAN

From: Femi Oyelola in Kaduna

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Reverend John Joseph Hayab, has described the ongoing killings of Christians in Northern Nigeria as genocide.
He emphasized that the continued denial of this reality constitutes a grave injustice to victims and their families.
In an interview on the ARISE News Morning Show on Wednesday, Reverend Hayab stated that it is time for Nigerians to confront the truth about religiously motivated violence, which he noted predates the Boko Haram insurgency.
He asserted that failing to recognize these targeted attacks against Christians hinders genuine reconciliation and national unity.
“Can I consider what has been happening as genocide against Christians? My straightforward answer is yes—Y-E-S, yes,” Reverend Hayab declared. “The violence did not start with Boko Haram; it has existed for decades. We have buried too many people for anyone to pretend otherwise.”
He pointed out that attempts to describe the killings as mere farmers-herders clashes are misleading and disrespectful to those who have lost their lives and loved ones because of their faith.
“Anyone who says there is no Christian genocide is not being fair to the Christians of Northern Nigeria,” he stated. “Some of us have buried victims in large numbers. We can name the dates and locations. These are not imaginations; they are lived experiences.”
Reverend Hayab recalled that long before the Boko Haram insurgency, several crises specifically targeted Christians, including the 2000 Sharia riots in Kaduna and the 2002 Miss World riots, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and the destruction of churches.
“I personally participated in some of the burials,” he said. “Pastors were killed, churches were burned, and entire families were displaced simply because of their faith.”
In addition to the killings, the Northern CAN Chairman expressed concern over what he described as institutional discrimination against Christians in education and public institutions.
“Our children are denied admission into certain universities, not because they are unqualified, but because they are Christians,” he alleged. “In many public schools, Christian students lack chapels and are forced to worship in classrooms.”