Security: We won’t keep quiet until Leah Sharibu others are freed from Boko Haram captivity
The Christian Association of Nigeria has said it will keep calling government to walk the talk about the security situation in the country until the situation improves.
The body made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday signed by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji and the President of CAN, Dr. Samson Ayokunle
CAN was ostensibly reacting to the statement earlier issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Sheu which took a swipe at religious bodies for politicising the boko haram scourge.
The Christian body insisted it is not doing the bidding of the terrorists by crying out for the freedom of its members in the captivity of the Boko Haram terrorists.
“The government should wake up to its primary responsibilities which is to protect the lives and property of the people. Calling on the Federal government to free our members from their captors who claim to be attacking us for religious sake is the right thing to do in the situation we have found ourselves.
“These criminals are targeting the predominant Christian communities, killing, maiming and abducting the people with or without any resistance from the security agencies is unprecedented. Let the government wake up to its responsibilities and see if we will not stop talking about its failure to protect our members.” The statement read in part.
It insisted its continuous cry is not not politicisation of religion.
The body observed, “The governor of Borno State is shouting that the soldiers are extorting money from the people instead of defending them. If the government has not been treating those criminals with kid gloves, let them publish names of their kingpins, of the terrorists, herdsmen killers and bandits in their custody and those who are being prosecution in the court of law for the world to see.
“How many Christians are heading any of the security agencies in the country? We are praying for the government on daily basis but that does not mean where the government is failing we should keep quiet. Since Leah Sharibu and other Chibok girls have been crying for help, there is nothing on ground to show that the government has been sensitive to their plight. The only reason why they are in captivity is because they are Christians, no more, no less.”
The body stressed that “condemning the terror attacks is not the same thing as stopping the attacks and arresting the criminals responsible or are they telling us they are spirits? Telling us to keep quiet is adding salt to our injuries.
“Last week, it was Adamawa and on Monday, this week it was Kaduna State where 41 people were kidnapped! As long as the unpleasant situations in the country remain the same the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria will not keep quiet since that is the only thing we can do aside from praying for the captives.”