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From: Noah Ebije, Kaduna.
The Archbishop, Kaduna Catholic Diocese, His Grace, Man-oso Ndagoso, has said that the spate of insecurity arising from farmers/herdsmen clash across the country is capable of militarising the country.
Specifically, Bishop Ndagoso noted that the recent killings between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in Numan, Adamawa State, forced people to abandon their homes on sighting attackers with dangerous weapons.
The cleric fielded questions from journalists, on Wednesday, during a press conference in preparation for the commissioning of a Catholic Secretariat, Kaduna.
He said in the event that government could not protect the citizens, there was likelihood for emergence of a militarised society.
“When citizens feel unprotected by government, they resort to a militant society. This is not good for us.
“People run away and abandon their homes when the see militants carrying arms. We cannot survive a militant society”. Bishop Ndagoso said.
He blamed government at all levels for the escalation and reprisal attacks on Numan killings, but expressed satisfaction over the recent visit by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to the troubled zone.
He continued, “But I was worried that curfew was not imposed throughout the crisis in Numan. This made the people to go about freely, carrying out killings and causing havoc.
“I think it is failure of leadership on the part of government. It is my hope that those who failed in their responsibilities will be held accountable.
“I think our leaders must stand up and do something to stop future occurrence, and we as followers should hold our leaders accountable because the monthly monetary allocation they are collecting in Abuja from the Federal government is for the citizens, so we must hold them to account for their action and inaction.
“We keep on mentioning it to government that the only way to solve this farmers/Fulani clash is to ensure that the herdsmen go ranching to feed their cattle.
“We have no option as a nation than to go ranching as far as fulani are concerned because their life line is their animals.
“The same thing with the farmers, their life line is their farm produce, they have worked throughout the year, and the food is ready, but only to see animals eating them up. So these are the sources of the conflict between the farmers and the fulani herdsmen,” the Bishop explained.
