The Northern states Christian Association of Nigeria (Northern CAN) says abduction and marriage of Christian girls and forceful conversion to Islam has been a long standing issue in north, The Cable reports.
The northern CAN consists of Christians in the 19 states of the the north and the federal capital territory.
The group, through its new chairman, Yakubu Pam, warned in a statement on Saturday against the development, urging security operatives to live up to their expectation “by ensuring that those who abduct other people’s daughters and marry them were arrested and prosecuted”.
Pam said traditional rulers who habour Christian minors in their palaces must stop this “wicked” act.
Two cases of teenage girls who were allegedly converted to Islam have dominated the headlines recently.
Northern CAN also faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to make Nigeria a member of the Coalition of Islamic Countries against terrorism” and said the government must guarantee the safety of Christians if the extremist group claiming to be Islamic, ISIS, attacks the country for joining the coalition of Islamic countries.
He said the church is worried about the increasing attacks by “Fulani herdsmen” on Christians in Nasarawa, Benue and other north-central states.
“The church is really concern(ed) and we are pleading with the government if they can put every leadership on alert, particularly, our traditional leaders and security agencies so that they can control such an ugly issue that has been taken place here in the north,” he said.
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