Bauchi Bombings: CAN Begs Christians Not To Revenge

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reacted to this morning’s suicide bombing attack on a church in Bauchi State, and urged Christians not to take vengeance into their own hands.


The attack, which resulted in several deaths as well as severe injury to more than 40 persons, took place at St. John's Catholic Cathedral in Bayan Gari.

 the Chairman of CAN in the state, Reverend Pokti Lewi, described what is going on as nothing but systematic cleansing of Christians in Northern Nigeria.
“We cannot express the depth of what we are going through, and the pains we are in presently,” he said. “Just few Sundays ago we lost nine persons in [another] suicide bombing and today again.

Now we have lost four persons, and over 40 in different severe [injury] situations; in the survivors some will die from what we are seeing presently. Many of them are between life and death and this is clearly cleansing agenda by those perpetrating this act.”

Rev. Lewi, noting that the suicide bomber sacrificed his life in order to kill Christian worshippers, wondered what kind of world exists today.

“We are sad but are appealing to all Christians to be calm and not seek revenge, we have not kicked against anyone and his or her religion but God is watching and time will tell,” he said.

He listed those who were killed in the last suicide bomb attack on June 3rd 2012 when Boko Haram suicide bombers struck at Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) and Harvest Field Church in Yelwa Tudu, Bauchi State. The victims of those attacks were buried on the June 6th 2012 at Christian Cemetery, Yelwa Kagadama, Bauchi.

Reverend Lewi gave the names of the victims of the June 3rd bombing as follows:

• Mrs. Nyarim Jingina, who died with three months old pregnancy;
• Irmiya Hassan Dodo, 67, a Second Republic House of Representatives member;
• Joseph Kehinde Aiyedipe, 30, a student of Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi;
• Samuel Olusegun, 16, a SS II student of Divine International School, Bauchi;
• Augustine Effion Ita, 32, a health specialist; and
• Suru Bamgboshe, a final year student of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University.

“You can see the pains of what we are going through,” he said. “We are still managing many others that sustained serious injuries and now another one has occurred. Where do we go from here if not to continue turning unto God.