CAN to Nigerians: Put pressure on Buhari to overhaul Nigeria’s security architecture
The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on Nigerians to put pressure on the federal government to rejig the nation’s security architecture.
The body made the plea in a statement today signed by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the Special Assistant (Media &Communications) to the CAN President, His Eminence, Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle.
CAN in the statement noted that the recent killings of over 30 people at Auno near Maiduguri by the suspected Boko Haram terrorists has again brought to the fore the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the security architecture of the country.
The victims of the recent killings were said to have arrived at the military checkpoint leading into Maiduguri after 5pm when the entry point to Maiduguri is usually shut for security purposes and so they had no choice but to sleep in Auno, the neighbouring village on the Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway where they were attacked, killed and vehicles and property vandalised by insurgents. Some women and children were reportedly abducted by the terrorists.
CAN noted in the statement that “the security arrangement in the country, especially in the North-east, has been compromised and except the security system is completely overhauled, Nigerians will remain helpless and Federal Government may never be able to contain the current nightmarish security situation.”
“There is no doubt that sabotage and compromise are largely responsible for the prolonged terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and herdsmen killings in the country, an allegation that has been confirmed by authoritative voices in the country’s security circle at the highest level. It is however sad that Federal Government nay the Commander-in-Chief is still turning a deaf ear to the desperate calls for the rejigging of the security architecture by Nigerians.
“Our position is very clear: Federal Government is not ready to overhaul the security agencies despite their poor performances just to maintain the status quo ante and sustain the widely acclaimed suspicious regional and religious agenda.
“It then called on “all well-meaning Nigerians to put the needed pressure on Federal Government to let go of heads of all security agencies and the service chiefs. For he alone takes full responsibility for the failure and success of governance and national security situation in the country.
“While commiserating with families of the bereaved, the people and the Borno State government, CAN said it found it rather “shocking and unfathomable the reported policy of the military that necessitated closing the only entry gate against civilian citizens commuting from security risk roads and areas into Maiduguri only to become cheap prey for blood-thirsty terrorists.”
CAN asked, “If the road must be closed, why the security protection is not made available for the travelers who would arrive there after the closure? Was there any evidence that a thorough check was carried out on the travelers and their vehicles to confirm if they were armed?
The body then called on the military authorities to investigate the circumstances that led to the emergence of the gate instead of adequate provision of security on the road in order to stop the incessant invasion of Maiduguri and terror attacks in the area.
It aligned itself with the position of the Borno state governor, Prof Babagana Zulum who has been consistently critical of the failure of the Army in stopping the menace of terrorism in the state.
The Christian body wondered, “ Army and Federal Government had severally told us that terrorists had been decimated, technically defeated and chased away from the country; yet, the terrorists have become even more daring in their deadly operations, consistently attacking communities, killing, maiming, abducting and burning property with minimal or without any resistance from the frontline troops. This is totally unacceptable and it is condemnable.”
This unending killings, bloodshed and upsurge of criminal activities in the country must be arrested by government decisively immediately so as not to plunge the country into another pogrom. God forbid!