Man claiming to be leader of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, in video screengrab, unknown location, Sept. 25, 2013.
The clergyman made this known on Friday at the launch of the Presidential Address at the third session of the 19th Synod of the diocese tagged: "In the world, but not of the world''.
The bishop, who took his scripture from John 17:14-15, pointed out that those who saw the Boko Haram sect as a religious group were “naive, mischievous or simply looking for sympathy from the devil”.
Fearon expressed optimism that the propaganda of the Boko Haram sect would not help the country and advised Nigerians to be honest about the nation’s unusual problems and jointly find a lasting solution to them.
He used the opportunity to call on Muslims and Christians to confidently use their freedom of religion to promote peace.
The clergyman also admonished Christians to accept the reality of the oneness of God in order to restore peace in the northern part of the country.
“Every well-informed leader in both faiths knows very clearly that Islam and Christianity teach similar things about this one God” he said.
Fearon condemn the false insinuation and assertions by some leaders that the entire northern states would be turned into an Islamic Republic, and described such allegations as baseless because Nigeria is a pluralistic nation
“A significant number of these comments are religiously inflammatory, inciting and can easily lead to a religious war in the northern parts of the country” he said. “Some God-fearing politicians have had to caution religious leaders over their selfish, divisive and worse still, uniformed utterances”.
The cleric reiterated that only dialogue could stamp out religious conflicts and make Nigeria a better place.
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