Northern Christians foresaw Boko Haram before 1960- Jang

Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, has declared that the fear of minority Christians in the north during the build up to independence is already playing out. He said: “The emergence of Boko Haram in the northern region and its terrorist acts were part of the fears expressed by the Christian minorities as far back as 1956. “When Nigerians were discussing the possibility of independence with the colonial administrators before 1960, the northern minorities expressed fears that their rights will not be guaranteed in the hands of the northern Muslims. “This is because the northern Muslims believed they are superior to any other religion in the country; they believed they are special, they believed political power was their exclusive rights, they believed political power was their inheritance.” Jang spoke through the Secretary to Plateau State Government, Prof Shedrack Best, at the first consultative forum of Christians and political leaders of the region at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) headquarters in Jos. The consultative forum which was organised by King David Generation Foundation was attended by Christian and political leaders from middle belt. The governor said: “These fears of the northern Christians are exactly playing out at the moment in the name of insurgencies or terrorism being executed through Boko haram. “Boko Haram came to prosecute Christian followers; they started from Jos, the political headquarters of the middle belt and centre of Christianity in the northern region and later spread their terror to other minority Christians in the north. “Boko Haram came to terminate Christianity and Islamise Nigeria; they began by setting church ablaze, killing and maiming innocent Christians in the north. “Now Christians have no rights to practice their religion in the region; minorities are now seen as inferior beings. That is exactly the fears of the minorities as far back as 1956; we are now living in reality of our fears.” He added: “Now, the future of our children is no longer guaranteed in the region but we have no other place to go. We believe our God will fight for us and we will live to spread the principles of Christianity for sake of mankind.” Jang urged Christian minorities to stick to prayers as their only weapon in times of challenges.