Dele Ikeorha, a pastor and president of the Laybible Translation Group, wants Christians all over the country to stop eating cow meat to protest the killings of Christians by Fulani herdsmen.
The herdsmen have been accused of repeated attacks on farming communities across the country.
In a piece entitled ‘Call to National Indefinite Cow Meat Boycott’, Ikeorha said it was time for Christians to resist the “subtlety of the Islamisation agenda of Nigeria” as it required “forceful and strategic resistance to avert a greater calamity”.
“Christianity in Nigeria today is under siege, not only from Islamic fundamentalists, and bloody genocidal actions of Boko Haram, but also from evil moves such as the Cattle Grazing Reserve Bill, and from the marauding activities of Fulani terrorists masquerading as cattle breeders,” the pastor said.
“In view of the direct link between the Fulani herdsmen and the blood-letting that has resulted in untold human massacres across Nigeria, and the genocidal slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent Christians and Nigerians, the Lay Bible Translation Group hereby calls on all Christians in Nigeria to boycott cow meat indefinitely, as a sign of outrage over the ongoing atrocities committed against Christians and Christian communities throughout Nigeria by Fulani Herdsmen.
“The Cow Meat Boycott involves total abstinence from buying and eating cow meat, directly impacting on the economic lifeline of the Fulani herdsmen and their sponsors. Should the attacks persist, the boycott should be advanced to the boycott of all goods produced by companies such as Dangote Group whose majority shareholders are Muslims, to send a message.”
Ikeorha explained that the boycott was necessary due to the “unmitigated attacks on innocent Christians and Nigerians across the country”. He said Christians should turn to other alternatives such as chicken, goat and fish.
“In this time of prayer and fasting, we call on all Christians and churches to pray for the mercy of God on this country, and ask for forgiveness because as a people we have sinned. Daniel 9:3-19,” he said.
“We call on the Christians Association of Nigeria CAN, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and all Christian groups and Christians throughout Nigeria to heed this call and support the call.”
Ikeorha told TheCable that boycott would hopefully put pressure on policy makers to take action.
“It is one of the ways to put pressure; it’s a social action to put pressure, make sure policy makers take action, also to make leaders for example the Muslim groups – the Miyetti Allah that they themselves – to know it is a serious issue even if it has been treated with levity.
“This is for the general populace to identify with the pain of the people. It is a regrettable situation; it’s unacceptable.”