The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Northern Nigeria, John Hayab, has strongly criticised Kaduna-based cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi for claiming he was told that Christians in the North-Central region are burying empty coffins to stage genocide. Mr Hayab, speaking on Wednesday, accused Mr Gumi of resorting to “lying and manipulation to mislead his followers and the public.”
Mr Hayab told the press that it is sad that Mr Gumi has chosen the part of lies and manipulation of truth. Debunking the cleric’s statement, the CAN leader questioned, “How on earth can Christians do what he is saying that they did?” He added, “We’ve suffered so much in Nigeria, and what we are asking is that the government stop the killings.”
Sheikh Gumi had made the accusation in a social media post, stating that a doctor wrote to him claiming that “some Middle Belt Christian groups are now staging fake mass killings” by burying empty coffins and recording the process “just to push the narrative of a Christian genocide.”
Mr Hayab said that when people who probably sympathise with terrorists choose to twist stories to accuse others, “we will leave it that way.” He added that Mr Gumi is twisting stories because there are consequences for lying to the public. The exchange follows recent global outrage over alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, a campaign led by some American lawmakers, which led to the US designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
