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November 30, 2012

Church Leaders Try New Legal Tactic to End Nigeria Violence

Christian Association of Nigeria plans to take Boko Haram before the U.N.'s International Criminal Court.

Update (Mar. 27): Deadly attacks against Nigerian Christians continue. Two suicide bombers killed at least 40 people and injured scores more at a bus park in a Christian enclave of Kano, the largest city in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north.

"The bus station is primarily used by passengers heading for the mostly Christian South of the country," noted World Watch Monitor. "Five buses were destroyed, one reported to be full of people."

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Following months of deadly attacks, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is seeking legal relief from both the Nigerian federal government and the United Nation's International Criminal Court (ICC).

In response to "reluctance of governors of the Northern states to tackle the menace of Boko Haram," which has claimed responsibility for at least 760 deaths this year, CAN president and pastor Ayo Oritsejafor indicated that his association would press charges against the radical Islamist group.

Speaking on Wednesday, Oritsejafor expressed his belief that Boko Haram is "filled with an evil spirit."

"The (Nigerian) Federal Government should designate the Boko Haram sect as a foreign terrorist group," he said. "We at CAN are strongly considering pressing charges against the Boko Haram sect for crimes committed against Christians at the International Criminal Court and we will commence soon."

CT recently reported a twin car-bomb attack at an elite Nigerian military church, as well as a massacre of Christians at Mubi University, both of which were attributed to Boko Haram.

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