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Nigeria’s peace depends on Southern Kaduna, says CAN President

By Nkechi Onyedika-Ugoeze, Abuja
05 May 2017   |   4:38 am
Reverend Samson Ayokunle has said that Nigeria will not know peace until lasting peace was restored in Southern Kaduna and other crisis ridden communities across the country.

National President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev. Samson Ayokunle

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Samson Ayokunle has said that Nigeria will not know peace until lasting peace was restored in Southern Kaduna and other crisis ridden communities across the country.

He called for the reopening of all government institutions that were shut down due to ongoing crisis in the southern part of Kaduna State.

He made the assertions when he visited Kafanchan to identify with the people of Southern Kaduna and stressed the need for tolerance and peaceful co-existence among adherents of different religions, adding that any religion that does not value life was not of God.

Meanwhile, the association has donated relief materials worth N8 million to the victims of the crisis. “Until the people of Southern Kaduna have their peace, Nigeria will not have peace. It is the duty of the government to ensure that area and other parts of the country struggling with herdsman are brought under control.

“So, peace in Southern Kaduna is a task that must be accomplished. They must not be deceived. Those troubling Southern Kaduna must be brought to book and prosecuted. Their gun must be taken away and their sources of weapon prosecuted,” he stated.

He added that if government fails to prosecute them, then they are not sincere, stressing that the Federal Government must meet these conditions. Ayokunle however, appealed to the people of Southern Kaduna not to lose hope or think of reprisals but rather leave their cause to God.

He charged government to rehabilitate all the houses and Churches razed during the crisis, insisting that it was its duty to appease the people by ensuring that those responsible for the mayhem were brought to book.

Also speaking, Chief of Kagoro, Ufuwai Bonet said: “When you pray, you act because prayers without action is not effective. I am not saying that we should go and kill them but the herdsmen are everywhere. They are being financed. They are ambassadors and their population is increasing. You can’t go up north and get a land to build a house.”

“CAN should approach the leaders and prevail on them to make statements on what their people are doing. They have moved down to the south, nowhere is safe. You have a job to do to get all the Christians together so that we can be one.”

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