Abuja, Feb. 22 : Nigeria's Benue State Governor, George Akume has urged Christians to promote peace, love and unity, which he said are the core values of Christianity, rather than promoting nepotism and violence.

In recent times, Africa's most populous country has witnessed violence and disharmony among its citizen due to infighting between Southerner who are mostly Christians and northerner where Muslims are majority.

In the year 2000, with the application of 'Sharia' Muslim law in the northern part of Nigeria violence rocked the northern Nigeria where an estimated 2,000 had died.

Governor Akume spoke during the inauguration of a new class of the NKST Church at Ikyanyon, Kwande Local Government Area, by the Synod of the Church.

"God is love, peace and unity. The love of God is so complete that it saves and disarms. These are attributes which unite not just Christians but the entire humanity, these are virtues which we should all promote," he stressed.

Governor Akume enjoined Christians to be properly informed before commenting on issues, regretting that it was unfortunate that those who peddled rumours about his death last year and who also promoted divisive tendencies during the last elections were all Christians.

He deplored the violence which rocked Kwande Local Government Area during the elections as well as the loss of lives during the polls.

According to the Governor, the deployment of soldiers during the last election was a decision of the National Council of States, and not that of the Benue State Government, expressing regret that throughout the country it was in Benue and Delta States that the soldiers had to shoot.

Details of NKST : NKST is short form for 'Nongo u Kristu u ken Sudan hen Tiv' which means Church of Christ in the Sudan Among the Tiv.

The NKST was founded in 1957. The church began through joint efforts of American and British evangelicals and the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. After 1916, the Tiv were served only by the South Africans, when the South Africans left in 1961, the Christian Reformed Church of North America became the mission partner of the NKST.

They have 258 congregations with 3,000 unorganized churches or preaching stations. The 397 ministers and 682 evangelists serve more than 100,000 members, but may have a total of 500,000 persons attending. The churches meet annually in a synod. They have adopted the Apostles Creed and the Heidelberg Catechism as their doctrinal standards.