Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Niger State has alerted the Niger State government on the plans by some agents to demolish some churches in Suleja under the guise that they are "illegal structures built on illegal land." Already, some churches have been marked for demolition.

Chairman of the association, Bishop Jonah Kolo, while addressing journalists in Minna over the weekend called on the state governor, Engineer Abdulkadir Kure to intervene immediately in order not to give room for bloodshed.

He said reports reaching CAN was that the churches so far marked were built on illegal lands which have no certificate of occupancy, saying: "We hope these people will not allow themselves to be used by devil against God who created them."

Bishop Kolo pointed out that it is legitimate for Christians to build churches for their worship, adding that, "CAN is a law-abiding body and so also are Christians and we will continue to apply for lands through the legitimate means to build churches for the praise of God and we hope government will not deny us." He called on Christians whose churches have already been marked for demolition to be calm and not take laws into their hands, assuring that government will surely act on it immediately.

The association also noted that the state government appointment are still tilted towards one section of the religion, adding that indigenes of the state are not only Muslims. "Position or appointment should be given to those who merit it and even if it is a political reward, everybody in the state is PDP because it was an overwhelming vote for the party by all residents of the state," Bishop Kolo declared. While commending the state government on the reduction of school fees charged non-indigenes in the state, CAN also called on it to immediately return the mission schools to the owners in order to give rooms for qualitative education.