Ethnic, religious cleansing must stop now -CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has warned that ethnic and religious cleansing which has characterized the nation all these years must stop henceforth.
CAN President, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, gave the warning when representatives of 25 villages displaced in the crisis at Southern Kaduna paid him a courtesy visit.

He said that the killings amounted to ethnic and religious cleansing and accused President Mahammadu Buhari and the Kadunna State Governor, Lalam nasir el Rafai, of not doing enough to stop the disturbances.

The disturbed CAN boss said that the first task of government is to keep Nigeria one even before the task is passed to citizens.

“We know the President is trying but that is not enough. You have to do more to save these innocent lives”, he said.

He appealed to the government and police authorities concerned to do more work than rhetorics, adding that “an invitation to aggression depends on the degree of frustration”.

He took a swipe at Gov. El Rufai who, he said, visited the communities only once and asked, “is this not Boko Haram in another colour?”

Christians in Southern Kaduna, he said, are facing extinction and genocide in the hands of Fulani herdsmen, noting that whoever is killed, Christian or Muslim, deserves not to die.

According to the association, more than 102 villagers in Godogodo and Gidan Waya communities were killed by the herdsmen in six months while 50,000 houses were burnt and 215 persons injured in Kaduna State.

The Secretary of CAN in Godogodo Zone, Rev. Chawangon Nathan, said that the problem, which started in May, degenerated because of the non-chalance of the authorities.

He accused security operatives of habouring religious sentiments as they have not been able to arrest any of the culprits despite knowing them.

He expressed disappointment also that the media described the culprits as unknown gunmen while was established that the Fulani herdsmen did the havoc.

(c)Christian voice newspaper