Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

Following the directive by the apex body of Christians in the country, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), some churches in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Sunday, held protest to express disaffection with the spare of wanton killings and bloodshed particularly of Christians in different parts of the country.

The protesters who staged a walk within and around church premises and vicinity were unanimous in their call on the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, to stem the tide of the killings of innocent and defence-less and armless Christians across the country or risk the chance of non-actualization of 2019 general elections.

It would be recalled that CAN had directed all churches and Christian affiliate bodies to stage protest within church premises for fear of uncertainty of what the reaction of the security agencies would do to the protesters should they hit the streets with placards

President of CAN, Mr Supo Ayokunle, who worshipped at Oritamefa Baptist Church, Ibadan, to offer thanksgiving for the success of the just concluded Annual Baptist Convention, which held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, also led the church leaders, women groups, youth groups, children, choristers and other members of the groups numbering about 2, 000 to carry out the protest directive within the premises of the church.

Ayokunle who himself and others carried placards with various inscriptions expressing the churches disaffection and disapproval of the continuous massacre of Christians across the country, came hard on the APC led Federal Government and security chiefs, supporting the call for their sack.

While noting that the people have lost faith in the security operatives in the country, and as such should be sacked and replaced with people with fresh ideas, he warned that the current government is at the risk of losing out, come 2019 general election if it would not guarantee the security of the citizens across the country.

Inscriptions on some of the placards read, “CAN says No to Violent Killings”, “FG, stop this wicked act”, “CAN says Not to Religious Killings”, “FG, release Leah Sharibu from Captivity”, “Enough of Bloodshed in Nigeria, CAN rejects FGN poor handling of insecurity”, “Human beings are more valuable than cattles, protect human beings”, “FG be sensitive to families that are mourning”, “No more excuses for mass murder”, and “Enough of unlawful killings in the country”, among others.

Ayokunle said, “We are gathered here united as Christians all over the country are gathered and united to say no. Capital no to bloodshed in Nigeria. Since 2009, bloodshed has continued, government after government, administration after administration has been promising us not to fear and go about our business that they are on top of the situation but we have seen that they are never on top of it. Bloodshed had continued. It used to be Boko Haram alone, now herdsmen especially the Fulani people have joined them and they have been killing people and decimating communities.

“Now they have concentrated on Christian communities, the Middle Belt, which is majority Christians, they have been killing and maiming and to cap it all, they have now started going into churches. In the last one week, they have murdered two priests inside their churches while they were conducting mass and killed the people who came for worship. If we are still not safe in the house of God, where else do they want us to be safe? The Inspector General of Police is there, doing nothing, we have always been hearing of unknown gunmen, when will these unknown gunmen become known? Are they spirits? are they not human beings? What of the intelligence service of the security agencies, why are they inept, why are they inept? Instead of them going to comb bushes to recover all these guns from the murderous herdsmen, they are going about houses and telling people who are licensed to own guns to submit them. What type of security approach is that? It is questionable and complicity.

“We have lost fate in the security agencies and they must sack all the security chiefs and replace them with new ones. No more bloodshed, if the bloodshed continues, this administration should forget about 2019. We cannot continue like this enough is enough.”

When asked if the protest was a call for revolution in the country, the cleric said, “well, I don’t know whether a revolution or not, but I know it is time to use our vote to say no to a government that cannot protect the citizens. My advice for the citizens is for them to be up and doing and to be circumspect, they should go and get their voters card and they should be ready to vote out a government that cannot protect them.

“With the protest, what we are saying is that, if they do not address this matter, they should forget about 2019. Whether the President is going to recontest or not is not my problem, my problem is that he cannot continue to be there while bloodshed continues, while herdsmen continue to decimate communities and none of them is being brought to book. Or how many of them have you heard is being brought to book? If these continue, he should forget about leading this nation any further.”

Encouraging the Christian communities being threatened by violence and marauding killers, the CAN President said, “they should stand firm and be strong. They should not be afraid or be coward, they should speak out the truth to powers because we all own Nigeria together. Christians are not second citizens in this country. We have no country of our own and we are also stakeholders like those in government and we are telling them, we didn’t vote them into power to kill all of us. If they see criminals, they have been given everything by the Nigerian nation to arrest the criminals and bring them to book. No excuse again can avail for lack of performance.”

On the impeachment move of the President by the National Assembly, the cleric noted, “impeachment or not is not my problem. The legislative arm of government should do their work to uphold the law and make those who should uphold the law to do so.”

Reacting to the call by the Catholic Bishops on President Buhari to step aside at a recent protest, the Nigerian Baptist Convention President said he had also advised the President to sack all the service chiefs and replace them with those with fresh ideas if he must save his head, especially as the killers seem to be determined to be concentrating on killing Christians.

He said, “I have also told him to sack the service chiefs who cannot perform. What do you want the Catholic Church to say when two of their priests were killed inside the church, not inside anybody’s farm, not when they were running after anybody’s cow but they went to their churches and kill them. Do you want them (Catholic bishops) to tell such a government to continue?. Never.

“They must also set Leah Saribu free. She is captive of faith. What type of negotiation was the one they did, allowing other students to gain freedom and leaving one behind on the basis of her faith? That has put a burden on the government that they are targeting Christians. A reasonable negotiator would make sure that such a condition will not be the basis for leaving one of the girls behind. So, Leah Saribu must not die and she must gain her freedom now. No longer tomorrow. This government will have blood on its hands if Leah Saribu is not released with immediate effect as well as all the Chibok girls who are still in captivity.

“What was the magic wand they used to release the Dapchi girls who were predominantly Muslims that they couldn’t use for the Chibok girls and Leah Saribu. That has put a question mark on the sincerity of the government and we, the Nigerian Christians are demanding the freedom of those girls without delay.”

Senior Pastor, Oritamefa Baptist Church, Ibadan, Mr Remi Awopegba, in his sermon, said the protest was not targeted against any particular political party but people in the position of authorities to rise to the demand of providing adequate security for the citizens across the country.

He maintained that the bad strategy adopted by the current government to address the situation is already making it lose face and if it would take the message from the protest in good faith and do the needful, the leadership of the country could still save its face.

He said, “This protest is happening because we are Nigerians and as Christians, we have been mandated on this day to specially make a statement to the government on righteousness. The bible says, righteousness exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to any people and we want to stand for righteousness and those who are in the positions of authourity are there to uphold righteousness and it is unrighteous for criminals, murderers to be left alone without addressing them and we know that in this nation, God has equipped us with powerful, virile and strong security personnel including police and military to be able to handle the situation, but why are they quiet about the matter and why are they paying lip service about it, we expect that they can handle it, and they should.”

Similarly, a protest was also staged by worshippers at the Abundant Life Baptist Church, Ile Aperin, Ibadan where the shepherd of the church, Moses Ayangbile, condemned the incessant killings in the country, saying it has turned a religious war against the Christians.

He led his members in a peaceful protest where placards of various inscriptions were also displayed. They include, “Enough of killings; No more shedding of blood; Release Leah Sharibu now”, among others.

He said, “Any religion that allows killings of innocent people without any form of provocation is from satanic objective. It is evil. Why should people continue to be killed by those called Fulani herdsmen? The killings have become a daily thing and the security operatives find nothing to combat it. Christians are saying enough is enough! President Muhammadu Buhari should stop these senseless, wicked and barbaric killings.”

Corroborating, CAN president on the release of Leah Sharibu, he said, “Leah is being held back because of her Christian religious faith. The perpetrators of the incessant killings have decided not to release her like her other colleagues because she refused to renounce her faith. Why should that be so in a secular country?, Dr. Ayangbile queried.

Also, members of Gospel Faith Mission International International (GOFAMINT) Church, Akanran Road in Ona Ara Local Government area, protested along the road, singing and condemning the killings of innocent people in the country. They called on the leadership of the country to wake up and put an end to the wasting of lives of innocent people.

They also carried similar placards condemning the killing of many Christians including the two Catholic Bishops recently in Benue State.