Nigerian Christians Say Church Bombings are Declaration of War

December 30, 2011

Christian leaders in Nigeria have accused Muslims of making a "declaration of war" after a series of recent attacks, including the Christmas Day church bombings that left more than 40 dead, The Guardian reports. Nigeria is divided into a mostly Muslim north and mostly Christian south, and the militant Islamist group Boko Haram has been stepping up its acts of terror in recent months. On Wednesday, Ayo Oritsejafor, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria, told Nigeria's president that Christians had become victims of Islamic jihad. "It is considered as a declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria as an entity," he said. He criticized Muslim leaders and the government for failing to intervene and said Christians would be left with "no other option than to respond appropriately if there are any further attacks on our members, churches and property." Nigeria's president, Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, promised to do more to combat the threat of Islamists and hinted at a restructuring of his national security team.