Insecurity: Ondo CAN holds ‘prayer protest’, urges Buhari to overhaul security apparatus

Christians in Ondo State under the umbrella of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), on Sunday, defied the scorching sun to protest over the killing in the country, holding Akure, the state capital, to stand still for over two hours.

The protest which was called by the national leadership of CAN to call the attention of the government to the rising state of killings by criminals, herdsmen, and armed insurgents across the country.

The national body of the Christian group had issued directives to all Christians across the country to embark on a ‘prayer walk’ on Sunday to protest the gruesome killing of the CAN Chairman in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Lawan Andimi, who was murdered by Boko Haram terrorists.

Speaking during the prayer, the Bishop of Ondo Catholic Diocese, Bishop Jude Arogundade, lambasted the Federal Government for folding its arms while the citizens of the country are being slaughtered on daily basis by the terrorists, herdsmen and other criminals.

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Arogundade noted that the Nigerian government had been playing lips service to fighting the Boko Haram with no noticeable success recorded in the war against terrorism and banditry in the country.

He said the “prayer protest” became necessary to call on God to deliver the nation from the bondage of the terrorists, while the government had failed to defend the people of the county.

He said: “We are here because for so long and for too long we have seen a government that is playing ostrich, that will want to give audience to an organisation like Myetti Allah and want to give N100bn to them recently and so many other organisations that we know so well in this country.

“This is time for us to speak out clearly if the government can no longer defend the Christians in this country, we will defend ourselves, it is our right and duty, especially when we can see and can see clearly that existence can no longer defend the law-abiding and hardworking Nigerians any more.

“Every country in the world will defend the defenceless, the hardworking, honest and ordinary people but our government continue to look the other way. They prefer to arrest those who are protesting against the system rather than those who are destroying the system.”

He said: “We have come to pray for you, to see the truth and the truth to set you free. We pray for our government that they may uphold the truth and justice. That they will fish out all murderers, all terrorists in this country because the government cannot claim not to know those who are behind this. If they claim not to know, then why are they in government?”

He stressed the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the security apparatus in the country to curb the killings.

“We have said it and we are saying it again here and even the National Assembly lawmakers have said it that if they can no longer handle the security of this country, let them resign. This is what people of dignity do. People that still respect themselves, people that still call themselves human beings and people of dignity must come out clearly to defend the citizens of this country.

“We have been told so much that these people killing us are from outside the country. So some people can just come into this country and kill people and no single one arrested? Please give me a break.

“Nigerian soldiers used to be a regional power and that a group of thugs will frustrate Nigerian Military? We refused to accept that.

“So, my dear friends, brethren, we pray for the government that they may be sincere with the people and God to change the heart of those in government who are still justifying all these evils going on in our country, that God will bring change to their lives and listen to our prayers.

The clergy specifically prayed for the Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, for leading other governors in the region to provide adequate security for the people of the SouthWest region.

He said: “May God bless the Governor Akeredolu of Ondo State, and keep him safe. We have heard him clearly and we know his heart, he wants to protect his people and we are here to support him and to support all the authorities of our land who want to work hard to protect the defenceless, may God continue to bless them and show us the way.

“To those who have been badly affected by this incident, may God grant them consolation. If one of us suffers, we all suffer and we can no longer accept that because enough is enough.”

He, however, said in his message to the Federal Government that “to the Nigerian government, you’re not doing enough, may God help you and protect you, but we want you to look inwardly and see what is going on. We want to see some arrest, let us some arrest and if you cannot do it, the people will protect themselves and it’s getting to that point now. May God help you and grant you the wisdom and the understanding to be able to bring sanity back into our country.

Also speaking, the CAN President in the state, Pastor Ayo Oladapo, said the prayer walk was organised to use prayers to curb the activities of terrorists and criminals who have been orchestrating killings across the country.

Oladapo said the Federal Government looked clueless and directionless in tackling the insurgency and only winning the war on paper but expressed optimism that “no matter the situation in this country, the Lord will deliver us. The lord will give us victory.”

He said: “We are not happy with the way the Federal Government is handling security issues. We are not happy with the way the Federal Government is attending to the people that are being killed.

“Just yesterday, some of our brethren were still killed. Last week, over 20 people were given mass burial in Plateau State. A CAN Chairman was murdered yet the Federal Government seems helpless.

“The Federal Government seems as if it has no direction. They are claiming that the killers are foreigners. Why must the Federal Government allow foreigners to invade our land and be killing us?

“The Christians community in this nation is not happy with the Federal Government with the way they are attending to our people who are being killed in the north and all over the nation.

“As Christians, we must not claim that we are not affected. An injury to one is an injury to all. Christians in the north are our brothers, they are our sisters.

“A seminary was invaded, some of our priests were taken away. Yesterday, we saw the picture of one of them that was killed. We see this almost every now and then. What is the Federal Government doing?”

“Brothers and sisters continue to pray until President Muhammadu Buhari will rise again and do the needful until he will come out and make Nigeria safe. We know for sure that God will do something.

He called on Christians across the country to defend themselves and be prepared to face the criminals disrupting the peace of the country.

“While we are praying for God to intervene, all of us should be prepared as well. Whatever it takes to be prepared. This is our father’s land, nobody will dislodge us. All that it will take, we will give to it. The Nehemiah approach is still very much intact in the bible. Nehemiah will work with one hand and hold the sword with another hand. We are not cowards. We are not afraid.

“Be determined that in this nation, nobody will come and intimidate us. If they are foreigners, we will send them back and if there are bastards within us, we will teach them lessons.

“Our prayers will work for us. Our strategy will work for us. Please, be prepared. Anytime you hear our call as leaders, leave everything and come out.