‘Nigerian Army Fires Soldier For Preaching Christ’
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ABUJA (Worthy News) – The Nigerian Army has dismissed a soldier for preaching about Jesus Christ while in service uniform on social media, several sources confirmed over the weekend.
Musa Adamu, a former Muslim-turned-Christian, also spent over 50 days in detention while his salary was stopped about seven months before his dismissal for evangelism, Worthy News learned.
Yet Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the director of Army Public Relations, said the Benue state-born soldier was in custody “for violating provisions of the Armed Forces Act and not on religious grounds.”
He added “During the operation, he was found preaching in uniform on a social media platform in violation of extant Social Media policy for the Armed Forces of Nigeria. This prompted his invitation for interrogation by relevant authorities.”
However, the soldier, “Rather than present himself for the investigation, he absconded for about six and a half months. The test resulted in the soldier’s declaration on Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL),” Nwachukwu noted.
“The action of the personnel violates Section 58 (a) (b) Obstruction of Provost Officers and Section 59 (a) (b) Absence Without Leave,” the army spokesman stressed.
Yet the Christian soldier, who uses the name “Aaron Abraham” on social media platform Facebook, suggested he had been dismissed from the army on controversial charges.
GRACE OF GOD
“By the grace of God, I have been dismissed by the Nigerian Army.” He said he had been given several charges, such as “using the uniform to preach” on social media.
“The second [charge is] knowing fully well that using the uniform to preach is an offense, and I went ahead to do it, which is disobedience to a particular order,” he added.
This isn’t an isolated incident within Nigeria’s security forces. In 2019, a video of a police officer preaching, apparently at the entrance to a market, was much watched online.
The policeman wore his service uniform while moving on the streets to preach to local traders, shoppers, and passers-by. Wearing a police uniform, sky blue top, and black trousers, he spoke through a microphone about his “encounter” with God and how then police commissioner in Abia State summoned him over his preaching style.,
“Yesterday, I did not go out for outreach because I was summoned by the commissioner of police, Abia State, warning me, saying, ‘Why did you wear a police uniform and preach the gospel? What is it that gives you the courage?” he reportedly said.
“I said, by the special grace of God, I did not wear the uniform to preach on my own. God directed me to wear the uniform and preach the Gospel, which is why I do it.”
The cases illustrate growing religious tensions with Christians in several parts of Nigeria facing attacks by Islamic militants. Thousands of Christians have been killed or kidnapped in Nigeria in recent years, according to data compiled by several rights groups.
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