IDFP raises concern over continuous killings in Nigeria

The Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) has raised seriously concerned about the avalanche of bloodletting that has gained currency in this country.

Co-Chairmen, Bishop Sunday Onuoha​​​​ and Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni on Thursday said that the recent shooting in cold blood of innocent Reverend Fathers in Benue with other worshippers “is a serious issue that can culminate into religious insurgency in the country.”

According to the leaders, even if the attack was carried out by herdsmen, we smell a rat that some unscrupulous elements wishing to cause religious mayhem in the country surreptitiously instigated them.

“What of if the Christians also take arms and start slaughtering Muslims in Makurdi and Muslims in Kano also carry out reprisal acts of violence against Christians in Kano and the Christians in Ibo land start slaughtering Hausas and Yoruba Muslims in the East.

If the present situation is not well handled, it can lead to genocide like the one that happened in Rwanda where thousands of people, Tutsi and Hutus lost their lives.

It is sad that this heartless monstrosity has spread to Taraba and Zamfara where Hausas were also killed in their hundreds. The kidnappers are also on the prowl in the East and ritualists are getting away with slaughtering human beings in the South West. There is no part of Nigeria that is safe,” they stated.

IDFP said noted that there was hardly any day you wake up and you don’t get inundated with news of ‘killing of innocent people across the country and it seems our law enforcement agencies are part of the dastardly acts in spite of their usual statement ‘we are on top of the situation’ .We think they better confess that ‘they are part of the situation’.

They stated further that with the empirical evidence that the bank robbery in Offa recently where dozens of innocent lives were lost would have been avoided but for the policemen in Offa who allegedly got N400, 000 from the criminals after the hotelier where they lodged suspected that they are criminals.

“The police were even audacious to tell the hotelier they are ‘yahoo yahoo boys’. Are Yahoo yahoo boys not criminals? Why were they not arrested before the dastardly acts of murdering dozens of people in Offa?

Yet we are lamenting that investors have stigmatized Nigeria and refuse to invest here. Who in his right senses would take his billions of dollars to an unsafe haven where human lives have no value.

“The question will arise ‘where are the security agencies?’ what are they doing to stop these barbaric acts.

The government itself should be more pro-active in getting these criminals put under custody.

The truth is that most Nigerians have no confidence in our security agencies as presently constituted and this is as a result of corruption which is very endemic within the rank and file of the security agencies.

Again, what has happened to those who have been arrested over these killings? When criminals are not punished, it creates sense of impunity in others.

We have confidence that the president has what it takes to stop these senselessness,

“However, we do not think the solution to headache is cutting off the head. So those asking people to defend themselves because they are frustrated are not helping matters. We do not subscribe to this. We should not allow the country to go into uncontrollable mayhem and barbaric gangsterism.

“While we continue to pray that our leaders should do the right thing and find solutions to our National carnage. We as religious leaders should go on mass advocacy to appeal for calm. We believe we shall succeed.

Most Nigerian politicians are Godless and believe that the end justify the means. Whoever is found instigating these violence for political expediency or ethnic cleansing should be fished out and made to face the music. There should be no sacred cows.”

IDPFP also appealed to the press to “avoid sensationalism which more or less is fuelling the insurgency across board.”