Anglican Bishops call on NGF to disarm killer herdsmen

WORRIED by the incessant killings of innocent citizens by yet to be identified persons suspected to be herdsmen, the Bishops of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion in the North-East subregion have called on the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) to urgently initiate ways of disarming killer herdsmen to prevent the breakdown of law and order in different parts of the country.

The Bishops who are in Gombe for the Fourth Jos Ecclesiastical Provincial Council Meeting told Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo during a courtesy call on Saturday that there is a great need for the NGF to synergize to disarm the killer herdsmen and check the devastations of communal clashes in the country.

The Jos Ecclesiastical Province comprises of all the North-Eastern States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe and the North-Central State of Plateau.

They told the Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Honourable Charles Iliya that, “we desire that the vision of the founding fathers and patriotic leaders of this nation should not be destroyed.”

Spokesman of the Bishops and Archbishop of Jos Ecclesiastical Province, Rt Rev. Henry C Ndukuba said, “we want to appeal through you to the Northern Governors Forum and others for a need to synergize to disarm the killer herdsmen and to check the devastations of communal clashes in the country.”

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He said that while they commend the efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Federal Government in the fight against insurgency, the attacks on worship centres and abduction of schoolgirls is attack on the very future of our nation and will need to be handled carefully.

The Bishops who also sought for the active involvement of religious leaders in the North-East Development Commission and the Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative said doing so will be very appropriate since they are working for the people.

In his words, “we seek your partnership as a leader in Government to seek for how to involve more actively religious leaders both Christians and Muslims in the Northeast Development Commission, the Presidential Initiative for displaced people of the region and other agencies working for our people. The people most affected in some communities are our people and both churches and mosques have been directly attacked.”