The Northern States Christian Elders Forum, NOSCEF, has observed with dismay that the justification of the attacks by suspected Fulani militias in Southern Kaduna referred as reprisals by the federal and Kaduna State Governments can only embolden the attackers to continue to unleash mayhem on the people.
NOSCEF, however, described the attacks as mindless killings and the destruction of properties in communities in the Southern part of Kaduna State have continued unabated for too long without the authorities doing enough to stop it.
The chairman, Northern States Christian Elders Forum, Engr. Ejoga Inalegwu, in a statement, observed that, “In the last one week alone, reports show that over 60 people were killed by rampaging Fulani herdsmen who invaded communities in Kauru, Zangon Kataf, Kaura, Kajuru and Jema’a local governments in the Southern part of Kaduna and unleashed terror on the people.
“Thousands of people have been displaced and in various refugee camps. Sadly, the response of both the Kaduna State and the federal governments to these attacks have been far from satisfactory, with the people in perpetual fear of fresh attacks.
“The unbecoming justification of the attacks as reprisals statements by the federal and state agencies can only embolden the attackers to continue to unleash mayhem on the people.”
NOSCEF, therefore, condemned the massacres and called on the state and federal governments to heed the cries of the people.
The forum expressed displeasure that the security situation across the country has continued to deteriorate as criminals terrorise Nigerians in their homes and on the highways unabated, while calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, to rejig the nation’s security architecture to effectively tackle the insecurity in the country.
“We are deeply saddened that while the Service Chiefs, who have failed in their duty to secure the nation, were reporting ‘wonderful successes’ in their North West campaign against banditry to the President, Christian communities were being attacked and killed in Southern Kaduna, as if Southern Kaduna are not part of the North West,” the forum explained.
Again, a few days back, according to the forum, the Chief of Army Staff, was reporting ‘another successful outing’ in the nation, positing that farmers can now go to their farms unhindered by herdsmen attacks and banditry, when there was intensified attacks against Christian communities in the same Southern Kaduna.
The forum noted that Nigerians have become helpless and lost confidence in the ability of the current security set up to protect them, stressing that the President must rise to the occasion and restore hope in the people against the growing insecurity in the land.
“There can be no justification for this continuous wanton destruction of lives and property in Southern Kaduna in particular and across the nation generally,” the forum warned.
It noted that it is immoral and unacceptable for government to leave a people open to attacks by bandits and turn around to arrest them for defending their own lives, that the same government has failed to protect.
NOSCEF called on Christians to continue to remain calm, law abiding, vigilant and prayerful, adding, “We may feel helpless at the situation the government has put us in, but we are not hopeless.”
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