A few days ago, President Muhammadu Buhari, speaking in Yobe State, scored his administration high on the fight against insecurity, noting that he had done better than the previous administration.
He said: “Nigerians will readily recall that prior to our coming in 2015, the situation was chaotic with violent terrorist attacks being the order of the day. Terrorists had made life very unbearable for the people in Yobe, Kano, Kaduna, Borno, Niger, and even the FCT, Abuja. Our mosques and churches witnessed daily suicide bomb attacks. Parts of Adamawa and Borno States were helplessly ceded to the terrorists.
“But today, we have so far shown clear determination in tackling terrorism which is a worldwide phenomenon. We have not only degraded the power and dominance of the criminal elements, our security forces have patriotically exhibited an uncommon zeal in executing their assignment.
“We explored various strategies, including regional and international collaborations to exterminate terror. We have re-equipped our armed forces, security and intelligence services. They are empowered with improved welfare and better equipment. The outcomes have been good. Our achievement in maintaining security is such that the international community and even our critics commend our modest efforts in this regard.”
He went on to state that “We are determined to restore peace to all part of the country – from the West to the East; North to the South.”
However, Christian leaders across the country, in swift reactions to the statement, have flayed President Buhari on the statement, stating that Nigeria had much to tackle in terms of security and that “Buhari’s best is not enough.”
Many security challenges have political undertones —Archbishop Fape
Archbishop of Lagos Province and Bishop of Remo Diocese, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend Michael Fape, who noted that some security challenges were not devoid of political undertones, called for more efforts on the part of the Federal Government.
“I want to believe much of what is happening has serious political undertones. If we have a head of state and governors, who, at their different levels, are regarded as chief security officers, and security is not paramount to them, then the electorate need to ask why they hold such positions. I was following the political campaigns between 2014 and 2015 before President Buhari came on board and he made so many promises. I believe he has all that it takes to do more if he wants to do more.
“As far as security is concerned, as a civilian, I don’t see any difference between both administrations on security. The killings are still ongoing, such that even after the president visited some of the states affected, hours after, there were attacks. So, for someone to have the moral courage to say that, for me, it is very disheartening. He hasn’t done so much as far as security matters are concerned. Perhaps, because he is a politician, he feels that statement was suitable to the situation. It’s probably an attempt to defend his position. As far as I am concerned, on security, we have not had what we should have as a country. Everywhere is still tense. See the activities of killer herdsmen. If it were in a sane society, I think the IGP would have been summoned and something would have been done immediately the head of state spoke on that. I still believe the security matter is still as terrible as it was in the previous administration if things were like this then.
“On the Dapchi abduction, honestly, I’m a bit reluctant to speak on the matter, but then the scenario on Dapchi and Chibok is similar. The security of this nation is very fragile. We give kudos to some of the governors for the steps they have taken, particularly, the Benue governor. Benue is an APC-controlled state. The same scenario goes for some of the states where these things are happening.
“It is unfortunate that he has seen the reality on the ground that talking is not the same thing as action. There is more to be done as it relates to security in Nigeria. Herdsmen are killing without any sense of shame or condemnation because they have sponsors. There are people who own the cattle. We should find out who these individuals are unless they’re telling us that they are sacred cows and are untouchable. Otherwise, I don’t think there is any justification for the statement that this administration has performed better than that of another administration. Let them go back and work.”
Buhari’s best not enough —Benue CAN chairman
Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Benue State chapter, Reverend Akpen Leva, in his reaction, called on President Buhari to stop the senseless killings of people in the country.
The CAN boss, who was reacting to the president’s submission that his administration had tried in curtailing general insecurity, noted that his best was not yet enough when it came to herdsmen’s attacks.
“Possibly, he was talking of crushing Boko Haram, but the issue of herdsmen is spreading. It happens in Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Kogi, even in Ekiti states, and there are killings and maiming at will. Let him tighten the security and stop the senseless killings,” he stated.
Leva, who noted that over the years, more than 500 churches had been burnt by invading herdsmen across Benue and Taraba, described the situation as “unfortunate.”
He called on President Buhari to work more on the security situation in the country, stressing that lives are sacred.
Leva who said that no amount of money could bring back lives that were lost appealed to the president to compensate the churches that were burnt.
He also appealed to public-spirited individuals and organisations to assist the church in this trying time, so as to be able to rebuild churches that were torched.
While enjoining Christians to intensify prayers for the security challenges facing the country, Leva urged them to continue to be law-abiding, and not to take laws into their hands.
“What we need now is more prayer. As Christians, we do not need to arm ourselves. That is why we have been preaching peace, because if Christians rise up and arm themselves, there will be anarchy in the country,” he stated while expressing assurance that the storm would soon be over.
FG not doing enough —Bishop Okoroafor
Anglican Bishop of Egbu Diocese, Imo State, Right Reverend Geoffrey Okoroafor, speaking with TribuneChurch, lamented the recent abduction of more than 100 girls in Dapchi, Yobe State, saying the incident was preventable, since something similar happened before in Chibok.
“They told us that Boko Haram had been wiped out at Sambisa forest, but they still wreak havoc on various communities. The recent abduction of 110 secondary school girls in Dapchi could have been prevented by our security agencies, following what had happened in the past to the Chibok girls. What about the killings by herdsmen in Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Kogi states, to mention a few?
“The Federal Government is not doing enough in terms of security, otherwise the situation would not be as it is now,” he claimed.
Many Nigerians expected better after Chibok incident —Pastor Obinego
Spiritual Leader and Founder, Christian Victory Prayer Ministry, Enugu, Pastor Dan Obinegbo, who said the statement by President Buhari was in order, noted that Nigerians, however, had higher expectations following past incidents.
“Many Nigerians thought he should have improved on his security network across the country, especially in the North-East and Middle Belt region, having been in the country during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, when the Chibok girls were abducted in a similar way.
“The issue of herdsmen and host communities’ hostilities that often lead to killings and maiming of innocent people should also be tackled with all seriousness. The unwanted killings should be stopped. The restiveness among the youths in the land is high and this is not good for Nigeria,” he stated.
Enough is enough —CAN
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Reverend Dr Samson Ayokunle, had, in a statement early March, lamented the security situation in the country and called for concerted efforts.
In the message made available by the Special Assistant, (media and communications) to the CAN President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, CAN wondered why the present administration “failed to take a cue from the abduction of the Chibok girls, by protecting the remaining girls’ schools.”
“Our military should learn from their past and present mistakes by doing less of propaganda while facing the war against Boko Haram terrorists with zeal to root them out once and for all. In our view, the government of President Buhari should urgently call for international support in the combat against terrorism as its incapacity in the battle against insurgency in Nigeria is becoming more glaring.
“Nigeria is increasingly reeling into a war situation with life expectancy getting shorter by the day, amid massive killings by Boko Haram in the North-East, herdsmen in the Middle Belt, armed gangs in the southern region, a reason we opined that calling for international support may not be out of place.
“We as a body will be willing any day to cooperate with the government, lending hands in whatever capacity we deem fit, to ensure an end to the reign of terror, barbarism and utter chaos in our country. We are strongly of the view that all hands must be on deck in Nigeria to prevent the country from slipping into full scale internecine war.
“We call on the National Assembly and all the states’ Houses of Assembly to support the unbundling of the Nigerian Police while yielding the ground for creation of the State Police in line with global practice. From all indications, a unified police system has become outdated and hence, ineffective in tackling the nature of security challenges confronting Nigeria.
“Enough is enough! As we demand an immediate end to kidnapping of innocent girls and mindless killings bring recorded across the country,” the statement concluded.