Christians Should Defend Themselves Against Attacks Insists Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has denied reports published in an online site which quoted him as having asked President Goodluck Jonathan to allow every Nigerian to carry gun.

He however called on all Christians to defend themselves when attacked saying that it was suicidal to sit and do nothing when one is attacked and suicide is a sin. He warned Christians not to retaliate or to initiate an attack but cautioned them to be prepared to defend themselves.

It will be recalled that Pastor Oritsejafor had come under intense criticism by mainly Muslim politicians for asking Christians to defend themselves.

In fact, Malam Bashir Yusuf, a former Political Adviser to the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, had on the Social Media network, Twitter, taken Pastor Ayo to the cleaners (see tweets below)

Pastor Oritsejafor, in a telephone interview, said that the online site named News Naija quoted him wrongly.

The site also wrongly referred to the Nigerian Tribune edition of Monday, February 27 as having reported the claim attributed to the CAN President.

Pastor Oritsejafor said: “What I have always said and will continue to say is that if you are attacked, you should defend yourself. As Christians, we don’t retaliate. But it will be suicidal for you to sit down there and allow somebody to kill you.

Suicide is not allowed in our religion because if you commit suicide, you go to hell. As Christians, you should defend and protect yourselves.

“I don’t understand why some people protest when I say Christians should defend themselves. I wonder if people want me to say, as the leader of all Christians in Nigeria, that if they come to cut off your head, you should surrender. I will never say that because that would be suicidal and it is wrong to commit suicide in Christianity.”

The online site, in a news report entitled: Allow Every Nigerian To Carry Gun, Pastor Oritsejafor Tells Jonathan, indicated that the CAN President told the president to allow all Nigerians to carry guns to protect themselves.