Christians in Niger state appeal to Buhari on Kaduna killings

Christians in Niger state have called on federal government to, as a matter of urgency, stop the wanton killings in southern Kaduna saying, prayers cannot be answered if innocent blood are being shed across the country.

This call was made at the end of one week of prayers for all Christians which is marked annually in Minna, the Niger state capital, for the peace and development of the country.

While calling on the President Muhammadu Buhari led government to improve in the area of security, the state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Mathias Echioda, said if the government can send security men to maintain peace in other parts of the world, it should also ensure the security of lives and properties are paramount in the country.

The CAN chairman who was represented by his deputy, Very Revd Fr. Godwin Bako, said the essence of the black costume worn by Christians across the state is to identify with people of the same faith and other innocent Nigerians who have been killed in southern Kaduna.

According to him “we are praying for the government to act fast on our brethren who have being kidnapped, adopted, savagely maimed and killed by the insurgency in ravaged States, most recently the southern Kaduna Christians.

“We strongly condemned in strong terms the unnecessary and unwarranted killings of our brethren in Southern part of Kaduna. We know that the government is doing its best but they can do more because with what we have gathered, security agencies have been dispersed to these places yet there were killings.

“We also know that on the eve of Christmas, we were reliably told that military men were sent there but on that same night of 24th December, so many lives were lost. We are saying that the government both the federal and states including individuals should be fully involved. We are saying ‘NO’ to the unnecessary killings.”

In his remarks, the governor of the state, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, charged Christians and Muslims alike to unite against all forms of insecurity adding that, security agencies are already positioned in strategic parts of the state to tackle any upsurge.

The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, said the government identifies with the church and would do anything possible to protect the citizens of the state.

Accordingly, he said “the church needs to remember us as a government, continue to pray for the leadership of the state to succeed in whatever we do because our success lies in prayers.”

He also charged all Nigerlites, especially religious leaders, to be security conscious and to report any suspicious person to the security men.

Speaking earlier, the convener of the annual prayers, Venerable Jezreel Vandeh, who is also the Vicah of St. Peters Cathedral Church, Minna, said the prayers of Christians have kept and knitted Nigeria as one.

“We are praying to God to intervene in the security aspect of this country because without peace, there won’t be progress. Even government itself will not be at peace and so, may not be able to function,” he added.