The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, the umbrella body of
Christians in Nigeria, has expressed grave concern over insecurity
challenges that have continued to confront the nation in the recent
time.
The group asserted that Nigeria’s security system has become
dysfunctional. It said this had been exposed by the inability of the
various security arms to wrestle to the ground those threatening the
existence of Christians and other innocent citizens in Nigeria.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, the General Secretary of
the group, Musa Asake, wondered why securities agencies had not come up
with an efficient and enduring system that can overwhelm the resurgence
of Boko Haram, Gunmen and Fulani Herdsmen who are prowling villages,
shooting and killing innocent Christians.
Asake said instead, “the IGP will always take side and make statements that are provocative to the people of the affected area.
“For example, when it happened in Southern Kaduna he said it
was a communal clash and refuted the number of people killed. Recently
he repeated the same statement in the Benue killings. That is an insult
to the Christian community from a leader who is supposed to protect our
lives and property what a shame!
“The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reviewed the
catalogue of horrendous and inhuman attacks on several states and mostly
Benue State from 2013 – 2018. The impression has now been firmly
established that the Islamists of northern Nigerian have “legalized
jihad” in Nigeria.
“As if the attacks on Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Plateau, Yobe,
Borno, Nasarawa, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Rivers, Ogun and Oyo States are not
enough, the Islamists and their agents have extended their trail of
blood and destruction to Bwari in Abuja and Ilorin in Kwara State. On
Christmas Day, 2017, Christian community in Bwari, Abuja was attacked;
several lives were lost while business locations were burnt down. On New
Year’s Day in 2018, Christians observing “watch-night” service in
Ilorin were attacked and three Churches burnt. As usual, the Security
Agents did not intervene until the attackers had finished their
horrendous assignment.
“This pattern suggests collusion of the Security Units with the
Islamists militia operating under such names as Fulani herdsmen, Boko
Haram, “unknown gunmen”, and “group of vandals”. On 17th January, 2017,
the Nigerian Air Force “accidentally”, in broad daylight, bombed a
Christian IDP Camp and killed over 200 Christian refugees in Rann,
Kala-Balge Local Government in Borno State. In December 2017, an Air
Force spokes person confirmed that the Nigerian Air Force sent an Alpha
Jet and an EC 135 attack Helicopter to fire “warning” shots at Islamist
militia attacking Christians in Numan, Adamawa state, but not to kill
them! The villagers were later to report that the Jet actually bombed
the Christian villages resulting in the death of over 50 people, while,
the Nigerian Air Force said it merely fired warning shots at the
Islamist militia attacking the villagers. This is jihad as we cannot
understand fired warning shots in the narrative of this attack.”
Speaking further, the CAN scribe said the development was clear
to the discerning mind that President Buhari was not running Nigeria
according to the dictates of the Democratic values in the Constitution
and has no respect for Human Rights, Rule of Law and Democracy.
He added, “It is unfortunate that a President that was sworn
into office to uphold and defend the Constitution has flagrantly
violated the Constitution and adopted Sharia ideology as operational
standard.”
“Having reviewed the situation in the country, the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN) wishes to note that some principal entities
appear responsible for the current distress in the nation.
“President Buhari was elected on a wave of unprecedented public
approval in 2015. Unfortunately, within a few weeks of his election, he
started creating the impression that he was in power to serve the
interests of his Fulani ethnic group only. Discerning people were quick
to note that contrary to his electoral promises, he actually meant to
pursue core Islamist agenda. Almost every vital appointment in Security
and Education went to Muslims from the North. He did not hide his
disdain for the indigenous ethnic nationalities and, at every
opportunity, showed preferential treatment to the Muslim North.
“Under President Buhari, the murderous Fulani herdsmen enjoyed
unprecedented protection and favoritism to the extent that the herdsmen
treat Nigeria as a conquered territory. Rather than arrest and prosecute
the Fulani herdsmen, security forces usually manned by Muslims from the
North offer them protection as they unleash terror with impunity on the
Nigerian people. The bottom line is that President Buhari failed
woefully to protect Nigerians. He wilfully permitted the Fulani herdsmen
to operate killing people, destroying communities wholesale, destroying
farmlands and turning the entire Middle Belt into “killing fields”, all
the while enjoying government protection from counter attack, arrest or
prosecution.
“By failing to curb the attacks of the Fulani herdsmen
President Buhari has failed to uphold Section 14, Para. 2 (b) in the
Constitution that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the
primary purpose of government:
“Through his partial, sectional and discriminatory
appointments, particularly in Security and Education, President Buhari
violated Section 14, Para. 3, which holds: ‘The composition of the
Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of
its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the
federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and
also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be
no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or
other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.’
“The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association is supposed to
be a business group much like many other businesses and professional
groups in the country. However, the MACBAN differs from any other
business group in that it combines bloodshed with enterprise.
“The Fulani herdsmen are clearly associated with MACBAN and the
officials of MACBAN are noted to make very inciting statements before
and after the Fulani herdsmen attack vulnerable communities.
“In the recent attacks on Benue State, the President of Benue
Branch of Miyetti Allah, Garus Gololo said they attacked the communities
because 1,000 of their cows were stolen. Even if it was true that cows
were stolen, who constituted Miyetti Allah into law enforcement agency,
judge and jury to commit wholesale murder?
“These are the issues our President should focus on rather than
seek to compromise our non-aligned status that serves our national
interest very well. Thank you and God bless Nigeria,” Asake added.