Arrest murderous herdsmen, prosecute Arewa youths, CAN tells FG
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Federal Government to ensure that those who called for the expulsion of Ndigbo from the northern part of the country are arrested and prosecuted so as to serve deterrent.
The leadership of CAN led by its President, Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, made the call on Thursday during a goodwill visit to the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Ayokunle lamented that it was disappointing to hear the ultimatum of hate made by some Northern youths that the Easterners of Igbo extraction should leave every part of Northern Nigeria within three months.
“We condemn such statement in strong terms and we see it as divisive, misguided, ethnocentric and unconstitutional.
“We urge that the law enforcement agents should be directed by you to go after those behind it whether young or old”, the CAN president said.
According to him, it is an unreasonable statement that no amount of previous provocation can justify.
He said: “We commend you for talking tough on this dangerous statement but still urge sir that you get them arrested as Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, was arrested and prosecuted. We believe in one indivisible Nigeria where our diversities can be explored for growth and development. We must be tolerant of one another and co-exist in love.”
The rampaging herdsmen have been decimating the lives of farmers across the country from the North to the South, the East and the West without any form of arrest by the government.
The CAN president therefore, pointed out that Southern Kaduna is not totally free from their grip up till now.
“Killing and maiming of farmers continue in Benue, Enugu, Abraka in Delta State just to mention a few. The most painful thing is that we are seeing their victims without the seriousness from the law enforcement agents to arrest and successfully prosecute the murderous herdsmen.
“This has encouraged them to continue in their killing and kidnapping spree with reckless abandon. Don’t we have a competent government in place with all the necessary law enforcement apparatus to ensure law and order? This government has to do more than what you have done presently to bring these criminals to book,” Ayokunle stated.
He said “all Christian churches in Nigeria is here today to pay you a goodwill visit and to pray for the speedy recovery of the President of our nation, President Muhammadu Buhari, so that he might be able to come back home and continue with his leadership responsibilities of this country to the good of all. It is our prayer that there would be miraculous intervention in his healing and all praises shall be to God. This is our sacred duty as fellow human beings who can also fall sick and as Christians who value so much the life of all living creatures, especially human beings.”
CAN also raised the alarm over what it described as obnoxious, divisive and ungodly secondary school curriculum, saying: “We are here to point your attention to a time-bomb, obnoxious, divisive and ungodly secondary school curriculum that the Federal Ministry of Education is introducing into our schools and of which we had earlier complained to the Presidency.
“Then, if I am not mistaken, it was suspended but has again been re-introduced without any review at all.
“This curriculum is the brain-child of Nigerian Educational Research Council, an agency of the Federal Ministry of Education. To us in Christian Association of Nigeria, its introduction is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good for so many reasons.
“A state has started implementing it already and Christians that are more on the receiving side of it are already crying fowl because of its potential dangers now or in the future.”
