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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said the claim of Christian genocide in the country was becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy under the President Bola Tinubu administration.
The ADC, while reacting to the killing and abduction of worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, accused the Federal Government of being reactive rather than confronting the security challenges in the country.
The opposition party, in a statement by its interim national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, condemned the dastardly act, noting that it was a reminder of the pervasive insecurity across the country.
The ADC, while calling on the Federal Government to arrest the growing anarchy in the country before it consumes everyone, stated that, “Nigerians deserve protection, not platitudes.”
The party, which demanded that, “our houses of worship, communities and country must be safe,” said the country was turning into a killing field under the present administration, while President Tinubu appears not to recognize that his main duty is to protect life.
The statement read: “ADC condemns the attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, where innocent worshippers were murdered during a church service and others, including the pastor, abducted. This tragedy is another painful reminder of the pervasive insecurity that has taken roots across the country.
“Coming within hours of another attack in Kebbi State where school officials were killed and students abducted, this particular brutal attack and abduction gives the impression that this government has lost control and Nigerians now live at the mercy of gunmen, who are now emboldened by the government’s failure to act decisively.
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“The ADC is particularly concerned that the Christian genocide narrative, which we dismissed when it was first proposed, is gradually becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy due to the failure of the government to conduct an honest appraisal of the problem.”
The party expressed dismay over “the statement made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, in a recent interview, claiming that only 177 Christians have been killed in the last five years. We find this statement unfortunate and offensive.
“And if it reflects the thinking within the Federal Government, such a statement would explain why this government has failed to address the problem and why they cannot be trusted to solve it.
“We would like to reiterate that deaths cannot be reduced to numbers. It does not matter how many people have been killed or what religion or language they speak. As seen in the video on Eruku church attack, one poor old woman, cut down by bullets while she prays is enough.
“But, this government does not know how to take responsibility or how to be accountable. Or else, how can an official of the government engage in the wrong-headedness and dangerous race to the bottom argument over which religious group has recorded more casualties in the country.
“Does 117 deaths make this situation more acceptable? Or, does the argument that more Muslims have been killed make it less tragic?
“In addition to the wanton killings, what is shaping up as another great tragedy is the Tinubu government’s defensive mindset and its growing tendency to minimise the scale of this crisis. But, the truth is that under this Tinubu administration, Nigeria is fast turning to a killing field and the President does not appear to recognise that his most important job is to protect life.
“Nigeria is bleeding, communities are grieving, families are being destroyed and the government continues to respond with excuses, denial and dangerous rhetoric.”
