The Christian Association of Nigerian, CAN, has warned the federal government that continuous sympathy through press statements or condolence visits after many souls are wasted by terrorists is not longer acceptable.
The Christian group gave the warning against the backdrop of the killing of 43 rice farmers in Borno State by terrorists.
In a statement issued on Friday by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, Special Assistant (Media &Communications) to CAN president, Dr Samson Ayokunle, the group said security agencies should wake up and sack the terrorists.
Declaring that Nigerians had had enough of sympathy statements by the government after killings, CAN said it was shocking how the criminals operated with impunity all over the country, especially, in the Northeast and Northwest.
The statement reads in part:
“We are shocked, disturbed, saddened to learn that criminals suspected to be terrorists (but for which a terrorist group had claimed responsibilities) invaded the Garin Kwashebe community and murdered the innocent farmers while harvesting their products.
“As usual, the number of the deceased gruesomely murdered remains disputed by the Federal Government. To us at CAN, 43 was not only frightening but inexcusable by those who should have prevented it. The massacre was wicked and completely satanic.
“A situation where farmers are being taxed by the terrorists and bandits before they are allowed to work on their farms is unprecedented and it must be stopped by the government before it is too late. We are in a recession in the country, yet, criminals are still preventing farmers from going to farm to harvest. We are not aware of any country where similar lawlessness is taking place without being adequately checked.
“CAN calls on the security agencies to wake up from their prolonged slumber and save their image. The government is urged to think out of the box and take adequate steps to bring the terrorists to their knees rather than finding excuses to justify failure of governance. Mass burial without a full scale war is unprecedented and unacceptable. We are pained to observe that killings and kidnapping of people are no longer news in the country and no one is immune from it. Why should we be watching for a nation well situated by God to become a land that is swallowing its inhabitants?
“While reassuring all that we at CAN will not give up praying for this nation and giving pieces of advice to the government, we urge the government that is supposed to be more decisive in taking far-reaching security steps to rise up and do it. Continuous sympathy through press statements or condolence visit after many souls have been wasted is not acceptable anymore. What we need is adequate protection of lives and property by those we have put in charge to do so.
“May the Lord comfort the relatives of those who were killed and save our nation from total collapse in Jesus’ name.”
