Boko Haram: Stop politicizing religion, Archbishop of Canterbury warns

Archbishop of Canterbury, Reverend Justin Welby, has slammed members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect for using religion as centre of political crises.

According to him, “religion is a power force that could easily be manipulated by politicians for the perpetration of evil.”

Also speaking, President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, insisted that the underlining factor for the deadly Boko Haram sect was religion and plans to Islamise Nigeria and not poverty as some people had been made to believe.

They both spoke on Tuesday evening in Abuja, during the annual conference organized by Christians Elders Forum of Northern States, with the theme: “Voices Against Violence.”

Welby, who was represented by the Secretary for Inter-Religious Affairs for the Church of England, assured that Nigeria was in the prayer lists of many people around the world.

“One of our prayers for all of us involved in this critical situation is that religion doesn’t become central in the political choices that we make. 

“We are so aware that although most religious people are people of peace, religion is such a powerful force that is easy to manipulate by some politicians who will like to use it for their own advantage,” he said.

In his speech, Oritsejafor reiterated that Boko Haram was an agenda to Islamise Nigeria.

“Boko Haram is a phase of problems that has always been in the North. I believe in the unity of Nigeria, but the truth is the foundation of every relationship. They are out to establish an Islamic state.

“As Nigerians, we must face the truth that the underlining factor of Boko Haram is religion, an ideology. There must be a superior ideology to counter it. The Muslim leadership must raise clerics that the sect believes in to show them that Boko Haram is wrong, not just saying that Islam does not support violence.”

Chairman of NOSCEF, Mr. Olaiya Phillips, who lamented that over 2,000 Christians had been killed in northern Nigerian, demanded that the Federal Government and the military must start putting effective pressures on Boko Haram to stop killing innocent Nigerians.

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