Christian group takes responsibility for arrest of ex-Pastor-turned-atheist over cyberbullying
On Wednesday, January 8, a Christian group called the Concerned Christian Youths (CCY) claimed responsibility for the recent arrest of Abraham Daniel, a former pastor-turned-atheist, and another individual for cyberbullying and attacking Christian leaders in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Police had previously invited Daniel and the other suspect for using social media to troll and target Christian clerics. However, some media outlets had mistakenly linked the arrest to a respected Abuja-based pastor. In a statement, CCY’s coordinator, James Paul Adama, clarified that the group had filed the petition that led to the police’s action.
“We want to make it clear that it was us, Concerned Christian Youths, who took the legal steps that led to the arrest of these individuals,” the statement said. “We invoked the law against cybercrimes to address this issue.”
The group expressed concern over the growing attacks on Christianity and its leaders, particularly on social media. They criticized the online content creators who mock and belittle Christian faith and leaders for personal gain. CCY called the actions “denigrating, defamatory, and blasphemous.”
The statement went on to explain that these attacks are damaging the reputation of Christian leaders, who are often too busy or too well-known to respond to every critic. CCY emphasized that such behavior leads to social instability, moral decline, and could eventually result in violence.
The group concluded by reaffirming that it was responsible for the arrests and vowed to take further legal action against any attempt to spread falsehoods about the situation. “Any attempt to twist the facts and mislead the public will be met with strong resistance,” they added.
