Kaduna — The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday debunked a foreign media report that some pastors were found selling some captured Muslim children in the recent sectarian crisis in Jos, Plateau state.

The association also stated that the affected children were Christians, and not from Plateau State, and that were brought with the full consent of their parents whose identity were known to CAN.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP, its secretary Rev. John Joseph Hayab, said, "The issue is that some mischiefmakers are at it again. They are trying to create tension, and possibly a religious crisis in Kaduna State, using a story that is not true. One Bala Waziri went on in one of the foreign media to incite people that he found some of our pastors engaging in child or human trafficking and selling children for four thousand naira. This children are not captured children from Jos their parents are alive to prove our stand they have been here before Jos crisis, the whole thing is to link up the kids with Jos and set confusion in Kaduna."

Rev. Hayab further explained the church went to some communities in the north and picked up less privileged children from their parents in order to sponsor their education.

"He also told the media they are captured children from Jos, Plateau State; it is a opposite, these children are not from Jos, and like I said their being here is with the consent of their parents.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Aminu Lawal, said the children were not from Plateau State and also not Muslims as being speculated, saying, "We have done our investigations. These children are not Muslims and not even from Jos but from Bassa in Kogi state. We were able to understand that they are all Christians and the Church there had an arraignment of coming to the aid of poor parents and orphans to be responsible for their education and up keeps.