CAN rallies Christians against killings

The umbrella body for Christians in Nigeria, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged Christians in the country to hold a peaceful protest against the incessant killings and bloodshed.

The call for protest was contained in a statement on Wednesday, April 25, in which the CAN president, Rev Olasupo Ayokunle, urged Christians to hold the peaceful protests within their church premises on Sunday April 29, 2018.

Recall that unidentified gunmen stormed Saint Ignatius Catholic Church, Mbalom, Gwer East local government area of Benue state on Tuesday, killing two priests and 17 worshipers.

Rev Ayokunle in the statement said the protest is aimed at asking the federal government and the security agencies to stop the unending killings and bloodshed in the country, adding that the failure of the government to raise an effective campaign against the killings by herdsmen is the reason they have continued to kill.

He said the inscriptions on placards could read, “Enough of bloodshed in Nigeria”, “Enough of unlawful killings in the country”, “FG, Release Leah Sharibu from the bondage”, “FG, Stop Herdsmen Killings”, “CAN rejects FG’s poor handling of insecurity”, etc.

“Government should be called upon to perform their constitutional responsibility of protecting citizens now. No excuse should be given for this wicked act again and perpetrators must be brought to book now.

“CAN seizes this medium to appeal to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to mount different effective plans aimed towards disarming herdsmen across the northern states and in communities where they have been wreaking havoc across the country in National interest.

Recall that CAN had earlier sent a message to President Muhammadu Buhari, condemning the attack in Benue state by herdsmen, charging the president and security chiefs to look into the issue and stop paying lip service.

CAN president, Rev Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, in a statement issued in Abuja by his special assistant, media and communications, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, condemned the attack claiming the country has witnessed unprecedented attacks in the past two years.