The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in 19 Northern States and Abuja has condemned the persistent killings of Christians in the North and asked for a Sovereign National Conference.
Reacting to last Sunday’s murder of Senator Gyang Dalyop Dantong and Hon. Gyang Danfulani, among estimated 63 people killed in Barkin Ladi Local Government, northern CAN in a statement said: “Those people who want to live by the swords and bombs can have their own country and kill themselves. Those who want to live in peace and catch up with development that is going on in some other parts of the world can have their country and make progress”.
The statement from Northern CAN signed by its Public Relations Officer, Sunday Oibe reads: “We will not accept a situation where only one tribe in Nigeria is trying to bring the entire country to its knees. This is absolutely unacceptable.
“One tribe must not be seen to be lording it over the rest of Nigerians. Nigeria is bigger than any tribe or religion. We must, as a people with conscience, sense of patriotism and sense of justice and fair play resist these mindless, barbaric killings. We call on the National Assembly to forget about their personal interests and convoke a National Conference to determine whether we should continue to live together.
“The only way we can peacefully bring an end to this madness so that those who want to develope can make progress and those who want to be killing can go on killing themselves when they are in their own country.
“We believe that there are some powerful elements who are behind the activities of these so called herdsmen. We want to ask pertinent questions: Has the government of Nigeria legalised possession of arms by unauthorised individuals? If the answer is ‘no’, how did the Fulani herds men in the north come to be in possession of sophisticated weapons, including military uniforms and bullet proof vests?
“Who supplied them these weapons and the uniforms? Where were the Special Military Task Force deployed to Plateau State when this massacre was going on? Why did it take them five hours to get to the scene of the incident?
“Reports reaching us said the Special Task Force was contacted by 4am. It was about 9:30 am that the task force went there. We understand that it was the mobile police that went to the scene of the incident. Whose orders is the Special Military Task Force carrying out in Plateau?
“If the Barakin-Ladi Local Government chairman called the Task Force and they promised they were coming, why did the Task Force fail to go until after they terrorists had finished their operation?
“Our stand as Christians in the North is that, we have lost confidence in the ability of the Special Task Force in Plateau to protect the lives and property of Christians in the state. We will not accept any intimidation of Christians by security agencies over this issue.”
Over 50 people inclusing a Senator and a Plateau State House of Assembly member were killed while several houses got burnt when nine villages in Riyom and Barkin Ladi local government areas of Plateau state were attacked on Saturday morning by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The attacked villages include: Berom villages of Kakuruk, Kuzen, Ngyo, Kogoduk, Ruk, Dogo, Kufang, Kpapkpiduk, and Kai in Gashishi district of Barkin Ladi local government area
The attackers were about one hundred and they stormed the villages in a commando style dressed in black attire with bullet proof vests and sophisticated weapons.
