BEING TEXT OF AN ADDRESS OF
CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN), DELIVERED ON WEDNESDAY 10TH, JANUARY
2018, BY THE STATE CHAIRMAN MOST REV. DR. STEPHEN DAMI MAMZA ON THE SPATE OF
VIOLENCE AND TERROR KILLINGS UNLEASHED UPON CHRISTIAN/FARMING COMMUNITIES IN
ADAMAWA STATE BY HERDSMEN.
Protocols
Gentlemen of the Press, may I
seize this opportunity to welcome you and to thank you for responding once
again to this invitation at short notice.
Before we get started, may we
please observe one minute silence, even as we pray in our hearts in honour of
those who were massacred in the mindless killings carried out by herdsmen here
in Adamawa State and other parts of the country in the recent past……..May their
souls rest…………..
Gentlemen, as the Fourth Estate of
the Realm, you may have followed and probably reported some of the dastardly
acts of terrorism unleashed upon Christians/farming communities in Adamawa
State and indeed other parts of the country by herdsmen.
Recall this is the third time in a
row that we are adressing a Press Conference within a very short period of time
on violence associated with herdsmen. This time as you can see, we are here
again to buttress the import of the message CAN is sending to the government on
the need to end these killings immediately.
Sadly, this is happening at a time
when public confidence in Federal and the State governments’ political will to
guarantee security of citizens is eroding at an alarming rate. This is due to
governments’ insensitivity to the issue, particularly as there is a distasteful
allegation of side-taking in some instances. While CAN does not subscribe
outrightly to the allegation, we hope it is not true.
Therefore, we wish to use this
forum to call on the state government in particular to caution its officials on
unguarded utterances during and after conflicts, as it has come to CAN’s notice
that the Secretary to the Adamawa State government has propounded a new
firearms narrative which seeks to justify the use of firearms by Fulani nomads in
the country. This is dangerous and reprehensible as the law of the country does
not allow any civilian the possession of firearms whether herdsmen or farmers.
The silence of the state Governor
over this and similar utterances is
suspicious and condemnable, also it is a display of non challant attitude from
the Presidency to have kept silence over the said utterances even after it went
viral and captured on the international media.
CAN wishes to also state in
unequivocal terms that violent elements are easily embolden and fuelled to
terror killings by such reckless and unguided utterances. Already, violence
associated with herdsmen in our state has assumed a worrisome dimension even as
it has gone viral. But we insist that it is unacceptable and that enough is
enough!
We are saddened by the death of
over fifty people killed in the repeated attacks carried out by herdsmen in Koh
village of Girei local government area. This
happenned after Lawaru, Dong, Kodomti, Shafaron, Plum, Kikan, Bilachi,
Bang and Nzoruwe villages of Fufore, Numan and Demsa local government areas
fell to the exploit of the same herdsmen and their expatriate mercenaries,
killing close to 150 people, several others injured and property worth Millions
of naira destroyed before the start of
last Christmas festivities. It is on record that less than one week ago, no
fewer than twenty innocent Christian farmers were killed in separate attacks in
and around Tambo district of Girei local government area. Luru village in
particular, saw its worse days when herdsmen wielding sophisticated firearms
stormed the area killing fifteen people and injuring several others.
Within the period under review,
not less than 10 Churches were burnt down and in some instances, even
worshippers were killed and several others injured. On the basis of these, we
stand to believe that the ongoing carnages is an attempt to discourage
Christianity and to silence Christians from free religious practice. We make
bold to reject this attempt and ask the Government to stop the unfortunate
development. Extremism seem to have taken persecution to a new dimension with
the armed herdsmen burning down Churches especially the recent attack two days
ago in Sagal Community in Maiha Local Government Area where four Churches were burnt
to ashes and properties destroyed.
What is more worrisome is the fact
that in all instances of the attacks carried out so far, there have been
sufficient alarms raised far long before the actual carnages and no decisive
action was taken by concerned authorities to prevent it.
With these incessant and spreading
attacks we feel the land is under siege and therefore calls for serious concern
from all well-meaning individuals and organizations to support any course that
will restore lasting peace in the land as against the sponsoring and equipping
of the said fulani herdsmen by their Sponsors.
As Christians, our creed teaches
us all the rudiments of peace building and harmony just as by the same
tradition we are disposed to promoting the peace in a culturally diverse
society. Therefore, to design the
roadmap for an enduring peace, we make the following proposition:
We call upon the Government to
work around the current committee set-up on this matter that their work is
objectively done and timeously also; in addition to that we call on the
government to also ensure that the previous reports on farmers/herdsmen
conflicts are implemented.
That Nigeria’s land borders be
protected at all cost to keep none Nigerian herdsmen from flowing into the
country at will.
We are constrained to taking this
stance to remind government of its basic duty of safeguarding lives of citizens
and their property because there appears to be no hope in view, at least that
the terror killings will abate anytime soon. President Muhammadu Buhari who is
the Nation’s Chief security officer and Governor Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla of
the state should not keep silence over these killings irrespective of their
affiliation with the perpetrators of these acts. Sadly, while this act of terrorism
is going on unabated, our Political Office Holders both at Federal and State
levels are engulfed with their 2019 political ambitions without a care about
the citizens.
Finally, we call on our Christian
Brethren to be more vigilant, law abiding and prayerful as we look unto the
Lord to bring lasting solution to this troubles, Thank you and remain blessed.
+Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Dami Mamza
Chairman, Adamawa State CAN
Rev. Anthony Elishama
Secretary Adamawa State CAN
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