The Head of Celestial Church of Christ, North Central Province,
Superior Evangelist John Babalola, has challenged President Muhammadu
Buhari to halt the ongoing alleged ethnic cleansing by suspected
herdsmen in Plateau, Benue, Taraba and other parts of the country.
Babalola said Celestial Church of Christ and other churches have been
destroyed, leaving the worshippers languishing in IDP camps, Churches
and in different parts of Plateau State.
The Clergy, who took over the Celestial Church of Christ, North
Central, said President Buhari should protect all citizens without bias
and shouldn’t allow Nigerians continue with the perception that his
government is presiding over ethnic cleansing in the country.
He said, “I want to task our President to do more to protect all
Nigerians. When a section of this country is been killed, I believe as a
President he will not be happy because a community will not forget
easily a king that reigns and people rejoice; likewise it will have a
negative perception of a king that torments and terrorizes citizens.
“President Buhari needs to be proactive; he should not let people see
him as being in favour of one religion against another. He must protect
all citizens and should not allow people to see him as if he is
presiding over ethnic cleansing in the country”, he maintained.
According to him, “The killings in the country, particularly in
Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Zamfara and other parts of the country have
scared foreign and local investors from coming into the country. We must
pray collectively to God to help us restore peace.”
Babalola further stated that Nigerians have lived peacefully in the
past where there were no religious, ethnic and political differences
that front line political parties had Muslim/Muslim ticket with the back
up of Nigerians.
“What we need now is for people to embrace each other and forget
ethnic, religious and political differences. Fighting and using arms to
kill each other will not benefit us and is not in the interest of God.”
He decried the manner in which a Pastor of COCIN Church, Abonong,
Rev. Adamu Gyang, his wife and three children were recently roasted like
chickens and the church destroyed in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area
of the state.
He, therefore, called for protection of the helpless, armless and the hopeless people in the society.