Christians after the close of church service on Sunday in Akure took to the streets to protest the incessant killing of Nigerians including Christians in the northern part of the country. Reports says President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Samson Ayokunle had earlier directed all Christians in the country to protest across the length and breadth of the nation.
The directive was contained in a statement signed by the CAN’s President special assistant on media and communication, Adebayo Oladeji, that decried the high rate of killings in the country is slowly turning Nigeria into a state of “anomie”.
The statement said the protest will be aimed at canvassing government’s increased commitment towards the release of abducted Dapchi student, Leah Sharibu, Chibok girls as well as other innocent Nigerians held captive by the Boko Haram terror group.
On Sunday in Akure, the capital of Ondo state, Christians were captured carrying placards in protests asking President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to take more actions to bring to an end the senseless killings happening in the country. Meanwhile, the President of CAN, in the statement, had directed that the protests must be peaceful.
According to the statement, the killings have only persisted because of what the association describes as government’s inability to effectively arrest the situation.
“CAN urges Christians in Nigeria to hold peaceful protest on the set aside date, in the premises of their churches asking the Federal Government and the security agencies to stop the unending killings and bloodshed in the country.
“Christians are to carry placards with inscriptions meant to address issues about sustained killings, attacks and destruction of their property in Nigeria. The inscriptions on placards could read, “Enough of bloodshed in Nigeria”, “Enough of unlawful killings in the country”, “FG, Release Leah Sharibu from the bondage”, “FG, Stop Herdsmen Killings”, “CAN rejects FG’s poor handling of insecurity”, etc.
“It also dedicates same day for prayers for the freedom and liberty of Leah Sharibu, the remaining Chibok Girls and others still in captivity of the Boko Haram terrorists. We are already at a breaking point and a state of anomie is almost here.
“CAN notes that the failure of the government to raise an effective campaign against the killings by herdsmen is the reason they have continued to kill, while there is no visible plan to pacify the aggrieved.
“The Association also calls on the heads of the security agencies to wake up to their constitutional role of protecting lives and property across the federation while preventing Nigeria from descending into chaos and a lawless country,” the statement read.
The association described the killings as inimical to the progress and unity of Nigeria.
“Lastly, it reminds Christians across the federation the importance of the forthcoming general election and the need for them to fully participate this time, by trooping to obtain their voters cards with which to play a role in the emergence of new set of political leaders in Nigeria during next year’s elections who could guarantee their security and safety,” the statement highlighted.
