…Demand arrest of gunmen
The Pentecostal Bishops’ Forum of the 19 Northern States, on Tuesday, condemned the killings in Southern Kaduna, describing the situation as “wicked collaboration,” which had “assumed a dangerous dimension of ethnic cleansing.”
According to the PBF, the manner of the killings has given the impression of a sinister script to overrun the people and forcefully annex their ancestral heritage in all ramifications.
The Chairman of the PBF and President of Dominion Chapel International Church, Bishop John Praise, stated these during a press conference in Abuja, Punch reports.
Praise warned that if nothing was done to address the Southern Kaduna killings, the people would resort to self-help and reprisals.
“Failure to act now may compel the people to resort to self-help and reprisals, which could snowball into a conflagration of monumental proportions in terms of scope and impact,” Praise stated.
The PBF called on the President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Nasir El-Rufai and other relevant government functionaries “to do more and be seen to be doing everything humanly and materially possible to bring lasting succour to the despoiled people.”
Praise said, “We are here to ventilate the anguish, and painful lamentations of patriotic Nigerians over the incessant attacks and killings carried out by bloodthirsty armed militia, bandits and terrorists specifically on the defenceless people of Southern Kaduna as well as many innocent Nigerians in other parts of the country.
“We also demand the prompt arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the dastardly acts as well as their sponsors, whoever and wherever they may be.”
In a related development, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, on Tuesday, directed all bishops to encourage their congregants to partake in a 40-day special prayer for divine intervention to be conducted after the daily Angelus.
The President, CBCN and Archbishop of Benin, Augustine Akubeze, gave the directive in a statement titled, ‘To all Catholics, Fellow Nigerians – Insecurity in Nigeria: Stop the killings now’.
The clerics, who expressed concern over the increasing rate of insecurity in the country, called on the Nigerian government and governments of affected states to put an immediate end to the killings.
According to them, the prayers will commence on August 22, and end on September 30, 2020, which is the eve of Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary.
