Boko Haram kills CAN leader minutes after emergency declaration

Gunmen, believed to be members of the extremist Boko Haram sect, on Tuesday evening shot dead the Borno Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.

Faye Pama Musa was killed inside his Maiduguri residence less than an hour after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

The National President of CAN, Ayo Oritsejafor, confirmed the cleric’s killing.

Kenny Asaka, the spokesperson to Mr. Oritsejafor, in a brief statement described the killing as “sad.”

Mr. Jonathan had before the incident slammed a state of emergency on Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, saying it had become necessary for the Government to take extraordinary measures to restore normalcy.

“After wide consultations, and in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the provisions of Section 305, sub-section 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, I hereby declare a State of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states,” he said.

The killing happened also few hours after a socio-political pressure group, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), visited Maiduguri to commiserate with the state government over the recent Baga massacre.