•Kickstart peace process in Kaduna, Benue, Plateau , says Ayokunle
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr. Samson Ayokunle, has urged the Federal Government to stop Fulani herdsmen killings across the country.
He said this against the backdrop of killings by herdsmen in Southern Kaduna, Benue and Plateau states and stressed that it was imperative that only when the suspects are made to face the wrath of the law that tension in the states would go down.
Ayokunle, who is also the president of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), warned that failure to stop killings by suspected herdsmen in some parts of the country could lead to war.
The CAN boss noted that the federal government must protect innocent Nigerians through effective security surveillance, particularly at the nation’s borders, to prevent illegal immigrants from gaining entry.
The cleric spoke in Ado Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, at a special service held at First Baptist Church (Miracle Cathedral).
In a sermon entitled: “Moving forward, exhibiting the features of a prevailing church”, Ayokunle said the church has a duty to pray for Nigeria, to overcome all its social, economic and political problems.
“There is need to pray more for Nigeria because it is only prayer that can save us.
“Let us continue to pray for the leadership of this country. But, I want to urge the government to check the menace of the herdsmen in some parts of the country.
“We are calling on the federal government to prosecute the hersdmen arrested in connection with the recent killings in Benue and Southern Kaduna because this will ease tension in the two states.
“We also want the federal government to investigate, through intelligence gathering, those unpatriotic Nigerians supplying the hersdmen with weapons being used to perpetrate evil.
“If the government fails to stop the provocation of the Fulani (herdsmen), they should be prepared for war. No ethnic group has monopoly of violence and no ethnic group should be a monster to others.”
He also described killings by herdsmen in Southern Kaduna, Agatu in Benue state and other parts of Nigeria as a deliberate and orchestrated plan to weaken the christian community in Nigeria.
The CAN President who visited the victims of Fulani herdsmen attacks in Benue and Kaduna states, in a company with other officials, last week, to distribute relief materials worth millions of naira expressed dissatisfaction with the alleged “kid gloves” approach government is handling the insecurity issues in Nigeria, particularly the issue of farmers/herdsmen attacks.
“As contained in the 1999 Constitution, as amended, security and welfare of the people should be the priority of the government but otherwise seems to be the case here.
“We visited southern Kaduna and Benue communities, to identify with the people and distribute some relief materials that would help them pick up their lives again.”
Ayokunle said CAN leadership have met with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, some weeks ago, to discuss some critical national issues. “We have equally made efforts to meet with Mr. President but, he has not made out time for us, for some obvious reasons, but, we are not worried because it is not compulsory for us to meet with him but, it would be beneficial to the entire nation.”
He added: “As president of a country like Nigeria, he ought to give equal opportunity and attention, politically and otherwise, to all regions, irrespective of differences in religion, tribe or political affiliation.”