The assembly would advocate an end to persistent killings in Plateau, Benue, Kaduna and other parts of northern Nigeria
By Moses Okorie
The Northern Christian Religious Leaders Assembly (NOCRELA) has called on Christians and Muslims to reject violence and work together to end killings across the country, describing the bloodshed as a war between brothers.
The clerics made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the assembly’s Abuja chapter, held under the theme, “For Unity, Purpose and Present Reality.”
The National President of NOCRELA, Bishop John-Praise Daniel, said the biblical relationship between Isaac and Ishmael illustrated the bonds shared by Christians and Muslims, warning that continued bloodshed among them amounted to a family conflict.
“The bloodletting must stop. It does not matter whether the victim is a Christian or a Muslim,” he said.
Daniel pledged that the assembly would advocate an end to persistent killings in Plateau, Benue, Kaduna and other parts of northern Nigeria.
He also disclosed that, as leader of the Pan-African Faith Leaders Initiative, he would expand advocacy against killings across the continent. According to him, the initiative, in collaboration with the African Union, would be launched on December 3.
Describing NOCRELA as a platform for bridging denominational differences, Daniel identified disunity as one of the major challenges confronting the Church in northern Nigeria.
He urged Christians to unite in addressing persecution and ending mass burials, while encouraging the newly inaugurated leadership to develop a clear vision, strengthen cooperation and provide spiritual and material support to less privileged people.
The cleric also faulted claims that Christians were minorities throughout northern Nigeria, arguing that such assertions were misleading without reliable statistics.
He noted that indigenous Christian communities existed in Sokoto, Kano and Jigawa states, including villages populated entirely by Christians.
Similarly, Archbishop Peter Ogunmuyiwa called for greater unity among Christians, saying it would strengthen evangelism and enable the Church to pursue common political interests.
Ogunmuyiwa, a former Coordinating Chaplain of the National Christian Centre, urged Christians to prioritise preaching Christ over denominational differences.
He also encouraged them to speak with one voice during elections and support candidates of their choice, arguing that unity demonstrated in 2027 could help Christians present a common front in 2031.
He attributed the limited visibility of indigenous Christians in northern politics to divisions along denominational and ethnic lines.
Earlier, the Abuja Chairman of NOCRELA, Bishop Moses Tabwaye, urged members to become agents of peace rather than promoters of conflict.
Tabwaye, who is the Anglican Bishop of Gwagwalada, warned religious leaders against using their pulpits to promote hatred or ethnic profiling.
He called for collaboration with Muslims, traditional rulers and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promote peaceful elections in 2027.
The assembly’s Secretary-General, Rev. Simon Dolly, said NOCRELA supported indigenous leadership as a means of addressing local peculiarities and fostering peaceful coexistence.
According to him, indigenous leaders are better positioned to understand the dynamics of their communities and promote harmonious relationships between Christians and Muslims.
Dolly urged both religious groups to recognise their shared place in Nigeria and work together towards a common future.
The 15-member executive of the Abuja chapter is chaired by Tabwaye, with Rev. Garba Ephraim Umar as vice-chairman and Pastor Omorinoye Ezekiel as secretary.