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Christian Leaders in Nigeria Plead with Government to Act after Murder of Three

Logo of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)/ Credit: CAN

The secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Yobe State chapter where three Christian youth were killed on Wednesday, June 5 by suspected Boko Haram terrorists is urging the government to “take proactive measures” to protect the citizens irrespective of their religious affiliations.

The three were abducted near Kamuya, a Yobe/Borno border community while they were traveling with other passengers. While other passengers who were identified as non-Christians were set free, the three were killed.

Ibrahim Abako, The CAN official, condemned the incident and urged the government and security agencies to upgrade their efforts in combating insurgency in the West African nation.

“On behalf of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Yobe State chapter, we condemn in totality the killing of Christian youths along Damaturu-Biu Road,” Rev. Abako said.

The official of the Christian entity that includes representatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) added, “These incidents have been happening frequently. We call on the government, especially the military and police to take proactive measures by protecting the citizens regardless of their religious backgrounds.”

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Families of those who lost their lives in the June 5 incident recounted in media reports  the agony of receiving news about their kin on social media.

“They were coming from Biu and suddenly the attackers stopped their vehicle and picked four of them who are Christian into the bush, killing three of them. Later, we saw their corpses on social media,” a relative said.

The relative added, “We only saw three corpses out of the four persons abducted. We did not know the whereabouts of the other person.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Nanger Local government branch in Yobe State protested on Thursday, June 6 after the killing, demanding action from state agencies.

According to the union, lack of government autonomy is responsible for the insecurity in the West African country.

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“All of us can recall that the issue of autonomy and independence for the three arms of government to operate independently has been an issue in Nigeria. And that has led to a lot of challenges,” said Umar Inusa, the Chairman of NULGE Nangare LG Branch.

Mr. Inusa added, “I can say as a matter of fact, that because the local government system is not working, that is why the security architecture of Nigeria today has collapsed.”

He said that the autonomy of Local government will guarantee the full security of communities which will in turn stimulate the economy of grassroots communities.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.