The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Thursday urged the Federal Government to stop living in denial regarding insecurity in the country.
CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, called for the arrest those sponsoring attacks on Christians.
He expressed sadness over the recent killings in the North, especially that of the Adamawa State CAN chairman Lawan Andimi.
“The Federal Government should order the arrest of the leadership of the Miyetti Allah groups who are sponsoring and perpetuating crime in Nigeria and prosecute them for all the killings in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba states, among others,” he said.
But, the Miyetti Allah could not be reached for comments on the allegations.
Ayokunle said Nigeria was in serious crisis, who called on the Federal Government to label the Miyetti Allah Fulani Association a terrorist organisation.
He demanded the sack of security chiefs as a way to find a lasting solution to killings.
His words: “You are all aware of the gruesome murder of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Rev. Lawan Andimi, by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, because he refused to be converted to Islam.
“Although the group initially demanded the sum of N50million and, when against all odds, the ransom was ready, they asked for €2million.
“It was in the process that they reached out to our people in Adamawa State to notify them that since the gentleman had refused to be converted to Islam, they had decided to behead him. And that was what they did.
“In the same state, just last Sunday, a clergyman, Rev Denis Bagauri, was murdered by unknown gunmen in his residence at Mayo Belwa of Adamawa State, all because he was a Christian.
“You are also aware of the beheading of 11 Christians by Islamic State in West Africa on Christmas Day of 2019 in Maiduguri including a bride to be.
“As long as the government continues to live in denial and fail to face reality, these criminals will not stop their criminalities.
“We are almost losing hope in the government’s ability to protect Nigerians, especially Christians who have become endangered species under its watch.
“We once again call on the international community and the developed world like the US, the UK, Germany, Israel and others to please come to our aid of Nigeria, especially, the Nigerian Church so that we might not be eliminated one by one.
“If the security agencies are not living up to the expectations of the government, why hasn’t it overhauled them with a view of injecting new visionaries ones into the security system?”
As part of demands made to the Federal Government, CAN said: “The President should overhaul the security council with a view of bringing in new heads of all the security agencies and the para-military which no religion or part of the country will dominate.
“The Federal Government should label the Miyetti Allah Fulani Association a terrorist organisation as being regarded in the terror index.
‘The Federal Government should publish names of all kingpins of the terrorists who are in detention and those who are being prosecuted.
“The Federal Government should stop releasing the so-called repented terrorists since they are reportedly joining their colleagues in the forest to unleash terror on the land.”
CAN urged the Federal Government to “reverse the recent controversial Police promotion with a view to balancing religious and ethnic divides in the country”.
Ayokunle said: “The Federal Government should stop sending a delegation to all Islamic international organisations and let our Muslim counterparts be doing so as we are doing in all international Christian religious organisations.
“The Federal Government should stop discriminating against our female Youth corps who refuse to wear the NYSC trousers for religious reasons since they allow their Muslim counterparts to wear hijab.
“The victims of the consistent attacks should be assessed and adequately compensated. The victims in various IDPs be provided with adequate security and enough resources for continual survival.
“It is painful and a betrayal to note that the government gives more attention to so-called repentant terrorists than the victims of their evil with the claim that they are being reinstated and rehabilitated, even into the Nigerian Army. This is a major contradiction.”
Ayokunle said the killings under the present administration were unprecedented.
He added: “Nigeria is under a siege orchestrated by the murderous blood-thirsty and criminally- minded Boko Haram terrorists, Fulani terrorist herdsmen, bandits and kidnappers who are all armed to the teeth, dressed in army uniforms, and gradually overwhelming our security agencies.
“They have been going around invading predominantly Christian villages and towns, killing and maiming our youths and elders, men and women; raping our women and daughters, decapitating children and disembowelling pregnant women, and subjecting people to coldblooded murder.
“Although their atrocities did not begin today, it increased with the advent of democracy, which gave birth to the Sharia Law in some Northern states, an outright violation of the 1999 Constitution. However, the attacks being witnessed under the current administration are unprecedented.”
Ayokunle called for praying and fasting across the country.
“Churches should pray for God’s permanent intervention and help from all over the world so that all of us might not be consumed one by one.
“It appears our government is completely overwhelmed. The brutality of Nigerians is happening unabated daily.
“All bloc leaders, zonal and states chairmen, leaders of denominations and all Christians and concerned Nigerians should support and come out en-mass for the program,” the CAN chairman said.
He expressed sadness over the recent killings in the North, especially that of the Adamawa State CAN chairman Lawan Andimi.
“The Federal Government should order the arrest of the leadership of the Miyetti Allah groups who are sponsoring and perpetuating crime in Nigeria and prosecute them for all the killings in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba states, among others,” he said.
But, the Miyetti Allah could not be reached for comments on the allegations.
Ayokunle said Nigeria was in serious crisis, who called on the Federal Government to label the Miyetti Allah Fulani Association a terrorist organisation.
He demanded the sack of security chiefs as a way to find a lasting solution to killings.
His words: “You are all aware of the gruesome murder of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Rev. Lawan Andimi, by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, because he refused to be converted to Islam.
“Although the group initially demanded the sum of N50million and, when against all odds, the ransom was ready, they asked for €2million.
“It was in the process that they reached out to our people in Adamawa State to notify them that since the gentleman had refused to be converted to Islam, they had decided to behead him. And that was what they did.
“In the same state, just last Sunday, a clergyman, Rev Denis Bagauri, was murdered by unknown gunmen in his residence at Mayo Belwa of Adamawa State, all because he was a Christian.
“You are also aware of the beheading of 11 Christians by Islamic State in West Africa on Christmas Day of 2019 in Maiduguri including a bride to be.
“As long as the government continues to live in denial and fail to face reality, these criminals will not stop their criminalities.
“We are almost losing hope in the government’s ability to protect Nigerians, especially Christians who have become endangered species under its watch.
“We once again call on the international community and the developed world like the US, the UK, Germany, Israel and others to please come to our aid of Nigeria, especially, the Nigerian Church so that we might not be eliminated one by one.
“If the security agencies are not living up to the expectations of the government, why hasn’t it overhauled them with a view of injecting new visionaries ones into the security system?”
As part of demands made to the Federal Government, CAN said: “The President should overhaul the security council with a view of bringing in new heads of all the security agencies and the para-military which no religion or part of the country will dominate.
“The Federal Government should label the Miyetti Allah Fulani Association a terrorist organisation as being regarded in the terror index.
‘The Federal Government should publish names of all kingpins of the terrorists who are in detention and those who are being prosecuted.
“The Federal Government should stop releasing the so-called repented terrorists since they are reportedly joining their colleagues in the forest to unleash terror on the land.”
CAN urged the Federal Government to “reverse the recent controversial Police promotion with a view to balancing religious and ethnic divides in the country”.
Ayokunle said: “The Federal Government should stop sending a delegation to all Islamic international organisations and let our Muslim counterparts be doing so as we are doing in all international Christian religious organisations.
“The Federal Government should stop discriminating against our female Youth corps who refuse to wear the NYSC trousers for religious reasons since they allow their Muslim counterparts to wear hijab.
“The victims of the consistent attacks should be assessed and adequately compensated. The victims in various IDPs be provided with adequate security and enough resources for continual survival.
“It is painful and a betrayal to note that the government gives more attention to so-called repentant terrorists than the victims of their evil with the claim that they are being reinstated and rehabilitated, even into the Nigerian Army. This is a major contradiction.”
Ayokunle said the killings under the present administration were unprecedented.
He added: “Nigeria is under a siege orchestrated by the murderous blood-thirsty and criminally- minded Boko Haram terrorists, Fulani terrorist herdsmen, bandits and kidnappers who are all armed to the teeth, dressed in army uniforms, and gradually overwhelming our security agencies.
“They have been going around invading predominantly Christian villages and towns, killing and maiming our youths and elders, men and women; raping our women and daughters, decapitating children and disembowelling pregnant women, and subjecting people to coldblooded murder.
“Although their atrocities did not begin today, it increased with the advent of democracy, which gave birth to the Sharia Law in some Northern states, an outright violation of the 1999 Constitution. However, the attacks being witnessed under the current administration are unprecedented.”
Ayokunle called for praying and fasting across the country.
“Churches should pray for God’s permanent intervention and help from all over the world so that all of us might not be consumed one by one.
“It appears our government is completely overwhelmed. The brutality of Nigerians is happening unabated daily.
“All bloc leaders, zonal and states chairmen, leaders of denominations and all Christians and concerned Nigerians should support and come out en-mass for the program,” the CAN chairman said.
