BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has raised an alarm over planned attacks on some chiefdoms and towns in Southern Kaduna by some armed bandits and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to place the nation’s security agencies on red alert to take precautionary measures to stave off such attacks.
In a press statement signed by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji who is the Special Assistant (Media and Communications) to CAN President, Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle, the Christian body also disclosed that information available to them reveals that armed bandits are also planning to launch attacks on some states of the Middle Belt region.
According to the statement, “The attention of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been drawn to planned wave of attacks to be unleashed on Southern Kaduna and other areas dominated by Christians in some states of the Middle Belt region.
“Specifically, CAN has been informed that some of these planned attacks are targeted at Southern Kaduna Chiefdoms and towns that include Gumel, Dagwarga, Daddu, Mariri, Kagoro, hotels, Open University and other soft targets, among others.
“While we are prone to dismiss these planned attacks as products of figments of imagination, we are, however, constrained to call the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari and other security agencies to be aware and take precautionary measures.
“Having witnessed unprecedented human carnage on the Plateau, we call on President Buhari to place the security agencies on red alert in order to avoid a similar recurrence. “While we are happy at the statement credited to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that perpetrators of the Plateau carnage would not be allowed to escape justice, we are quick to remind and appeal to the Federal Government to at least stand by its promise to ensure that these blood-thirsty herdsmen are brought to book to face the full wrath of the law.
“As the umbrella organisation for all Christians in Nigeria, we are at pains at the tragedy that has befallen our members. We mourn the death of over 200 Christians slaughtered on the Plateau at the weekend and we passionately appeal to the Buhari-led Administration to rise up and put a stop to further killings of innocent people, including defenseless women and children.”
