Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Herdsmen killings: CAN urges FG to act decisively before it becomes national war

By Nkechi Onyedika-Ugoeze, Abuja 
06 January 2018   |   4:52 am
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused the federal government of violating the constitution, which they swore to uphold, having failed to protect Nigerians from the attacks of Fulani herdsmen in different parts of the country. 


The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused the federal government of violating the constitution, which they swore to uphold, having failed to protect Nigerians from the attacks of Fulani herdsmen in different parts of the country. 

While insisting that the government owe the entire Nigerians the responsibility of competent action, not just words of mouth, CAN called on the Executive, National Assembly and all security agencies to rise up to their responsibilities.

It also advocated for solemn assembly that would address all the challenges and come out with lasting solution to the senseless attacks.In a statement yesterday in Abuja, its president, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, noted that government’s failure to take concrete action on the menace of Fulani herdsmen is a betrayal of the confidence reposed in it by Nigerians when they voted them into power.

He observed that while the government has taken the battle to Boko Haram terrorists, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Badoo boys, Niger Delta Avengers and other groups, it has not shown any serious willingness to checkmate the murderous herdsmen. 

He said: “We are forced to make this press release on the continuous inhuman and wicked activities of the herdsmen all over the federation, who are going from community to community, killing innocent farmers with impunity. They have killed more people than the Boko Haram sect and almost displaced more people than them.

“We are now reaching a breaking point in our patience and toleration of this wicked impunity before degenerating to a civil war. “We need to know why the intelligence units of all security apparatus we have in this country have not been able to discover the sources of supply of ammunition to herdsmen living virtually in the bush.”

He continued: “The Customs and the Immigration Services, together with the Police, have a case to answer. Who are the suppliers of these weapons? If the murderous herdsmen are foreigners, as it is being claimed in some quarters, why did we allow dangerous foreigners into our country to come and kill us? Our government has a case to answer too.”

Ayokunle warned against government allowing herdsmen to be having a field day in killing people, wondering: “Is it not the Fulanis alone that would remain, that they would be governing? God forbids killing innocent farmers with impunity.”

The CAN leader argued: “The international community cannot afford to be watching us without lending a voice to our cries to our government to checkmate the murderous herdsmen, who appear not to care about the future of this nation.

“The is further appealing to the international community to come to our aid by providing relief for many in the hospitals and those that are displaced as a result of these attacks.”He urge all churches to set aside time this Sunday, January 7, to pray for Nigeria and for victory over the killings by herdsmen, adding: “Our nation can never be great in a state of insecurity and war, as we are presently experiencing.”

0 Comments