Nigerian Christians will defend self if bombs continue

   
LAGOS Pentecostal church leaders in Nigeria said on Wednesday their members will defend themselves if authorities do not protect them from attacks, after Christmas bombings blamed on Islamists killed 40.
The bombings attributed to Islamist group Boko Haram, with two churches targeted on Christmas day and a third on Christmas Eve, have sparked fears that they could ignite a fresh round of sectarian violence.
"In the year 2012, if these unprovoked attacks continue, and Christians remain unprotected by the security agencies, then we will have no choice but to defend our lives and property," a coalition of Pentecostal churches said in a statement.
The coalition, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, claims its membership is in the millions in Nigeria. Evangelical churches have been growing rapidly in Nigeria.
Asked what defending themselves meant, an official with the organisation said they were not advocating violence.
"We are not advocating taking up of arms," said coalition national secretary Wale Adefarasin said.
But we are asking our members to defend themselves with whatever they have that is within the law -- take necessary steps to defend yourself within the law. We cannot just become sitting ducks for these people."
Some neighbourhoods in Nigeria hard hit by ethnic and religious violence have long had so-called vigilante groups, though community leaders say they are not armed and report potential trouble to the police.
"There is no end to the wanton destruction of lives and property by this terrorist group," the coalition said of Boko Haram, which has claimed responsibility for scores of attacks, mainly in northeastern Nigeria.
The church coalition said it was concerned that the sect and its supporters have continued to wage "war" against Christians "in the furtherance of their Islamisation agenda," especially in the north.
It listed pastors and Christians it claimed have been killed along with churches and properties allegedly destroyed by sect members since 2009.
 "Over the years, so much violence has been committed against the church. They have done this with reckless abandon and with no serious check by the government," Adefarasin, head of Garden of Light Assembly church, said.