From Gyang Bere, Jos
The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) has frowned at the frightening security challenges that culminated to the recent killings of over 394 persons in rural communities of Benue, Southern Kaduna and Plateau states, and urged security agencies in the country to fish out the perpetrators and deal with them accordingly.
The church in a communiqué issued at the end of the 70th General Church Council (GCC) meeting and signed by the president, Rev. Stephen Baba Panya, and General Secretary, Rev. Yunusa Sabo Nmadu Jr, condemned in totality, the brutal killings in other parts of the country.
“The recent killing in the month of April, 2023 of 68 people at Zangon Kataf and several other communities in Southern Kaduna, the killing of 30 people in Agatu LGA, 250 people in Apa LGA, 75 people in Otukpo, and 39 People in Guma LGA, make a total of 394 people in Benue State.
“We also add the killing of ten people in Mangu and Bokkos LGAs in Plateau State and the sacking of indigenous communities in the Middle-Belt states namely Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger, Southern Kaduna, Benue, and Taraba respectively.
“The Council called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to rise up to its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property and dealing ruthlessly with those responsible for those wicked acts, and to provide good governance characterised by transparency, integrity and accountability by constituting an atmosphere for employment of teaming youths of Nigeria so as to stem hunger, unemployment, illiteracy, corruption and religious extremism.”
ECWA described the frequent assaults on security operatives in the line of duty by unidentified groups across the country as unacceptable, and urged the Federal Government to improve the provision of security equipment and take adequate care of security personnel.
The Church also advised the government to sieve the security outfits of bad elements, and bring the perpetrators of the heinous crimes to book.
On the 2023 general elections, the Council expressed displeasure over the unprofessional conducts of some of the electoral umpires and security agents which to some extent marred the overall outcome of the polls.
The Church described the currency swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a thoughtful initiative, but expressed displeasure over the unbearable hardship it inflicted on the Nigerian masses.
The Church urged the Federal Government to adequately mobilise all genuine citizens for the forthcoming census, and admonished the National Population Commission to be honest, just and equitable, and justify the conduct of the head count.