CAN on religious killings: FG just issuing statements and going to sleep
David Bakare, a Bishop and zonal chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the north-west, says the federal government is not doing enough to tackle the menace of religious killings in the country.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna on Wednesday, Bakare lamented that the northern part of the country in recent times had “become killing fields where Christians are murdered without restraints”.
The CAN chairman said government only issues statements and then “goes to sleep”,while nothing concrete is done to stem the tide of attacks.
He also said the inaction on government’s part shows that the authorities at all levels have abdicated their responsibilities of securing lives, especially that of Christians in northern Nigeria.
“We want a stage-by-stage report of what government and security agencies are doing about these killings because what we have had were statements of condemnation. We have not heard whether anybody had been arrested, prosecuted and jail. We have not heard whether government is still searching for them,” he said.
“When these killings happen, government will make statements and everybody goes to sleep! It doesn’t give us assurance that anything is being done at all.
“Arrests must be made, the perpetrators must be made to face the full weight of the law so that justice will be seen to have been done.”
While recounting recent killings in different parts of the north, Bakare said it was unacceptable and could not be “the Nigeria we long to see”.
“There is the well-publicised hacking to death of a Redeemed pastor’s wife in Kubwa, Abuja, an ECWA pastor who was murdered in Nasarawa state; just last Friday, a Redeemed pastor was shot in his farm by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Kafanchan, Kaduna state,” he said.
“Few days ago in Zamfara State, a boy was accused of blasphemy and attacked. The incident led to the killing and burning of eight Christians in the state.”
He said if arrests are made by the government as regards religious killings, it would give assurance to the Christians in northern Nigeria that they are safe.
There is a saying that you fool me once shame on you. You fool me twice shame on me. It is human nature to readily forgive those who offend us. I believe it is an innate part of our being for good reasons. It allows us to forgive those who offend us so we can live peacefully as a community. It is inherently for the good of all mankind. For this to work, all parties are generally required to adhere to some basic rules. Absence of malice tops the list. General goodwill towards your fellow man or woman, love of your neighbour, regardless of ethnicity, religious affiliation or educational background is also paramount.
This latest incident in Zamfara seems a sad replay of the same sickening disregard for the lives of fellow citizens by thugs, either in the name of religion or as a right imposed on them from above. The frequency of such criminality has rendered the notion that we live in a just, civil, lawful society mute. The fact that very few of those cowardly murderers are brought to book, tried and punished makes a mockery of our judicial system. These despicable, deliberate and senseless killings of Christians by Moslems in a nation that fought a bloodly war to keep us as one gives one reasons to pause. Are we making progress as a people with a common purpose to lift our nation up or are we receeding into the barbarism of the Stone Age?
It is very tempting to gloss over these indiscriminate killings by alluding them to random acts of madness perpetrated by a few disgruntled rougues with assault weapons, out to seek revenge for some perceived slants against them. It is interesting to note that those who offended these marauders are generally not armed. So, why seek revenge using weapons that can fire many rounds of bullets in the case of herdsmen? What happened to the old-fashion fisticuffs way of settling matters? (if reasonings and sound judgement took leave of our senses). Why must these confrontations end in bloodshed? It is a crying shame that the statistics (which does not lie) shows us that the greater percentage of victims in these fracas are Christians. Why?
It is very difficult to pretend these are isolated cases unless one happens to be a Moslem. It is equally perplexing for a casual observer not to notice the deafening silence from our Moslem brothers in positions of power, who are nationally regarded and who carry some sway among and within their communities. Why are you not speaking out loudly enough to the world? Why are you not condemning these shameful killings of innocent men and women? These killings are not Christians killing Christians. These are documented cases of Moslem men committing murders against their fellow Nigerians, who happen to be Christians. Why are we not hearing wails and cries of condemnation from respected Imams, the Sultans and other respected members of our Islamic communities? Why the stony silence? Christian lives don’t matter? Are they not created with flesh, blood and bones like their Moslem compatriots and fellow citizens? Are we not all Nigerians using the same passport?
The silence from the traditional Moslem rulers is not an encouraging sign for a lot of reasons. One, it allows Christian conspiracy theorists to float the notion that these are deliberate killings sanctioned from the top. Yes, it sounds crazy. But, given the unabated killings going on who can blame them? Would our northern elders have remained mute if our Moslem neighbors from the north were being massacred by Christians without vigorous outcry from southern traditional rulers and elders? It is irresponsible to stay silent and not unequivocally denounce these killers. Our Moslem rulers must speak out soon and let Nigerians know in no uncertain terms, that these killings must stop. It is not uncommon for a fatwa to be issued in such cases to underscore the seriousness of this crisis.
The federal, state and local governments, the traditional rulers have not done enough to prevent these killings. This latest case could have been prevented, given the account by eyewitnesses. Why would students leave school, run first to a hospital and then to a private home to seek revenge over an issue that was out of their jurisdiction is beyond me. For the law enforcement agencies not to have been alerted to protect the victims is equally perplexing. There are enough blame to go round.
What must be done going forward? These incidents desperately call for a national dialogue after all is said and done. The president needs to start the ball rolling. He is the national leader and must lead the nation out of and end these cycles of violence before things get completely out of hand. He and other national leaders are not unaware of the amount of unauthorized weapons stockpiled all over the countryside. We need to follow the Australian example and get those guns off our streets. This is not the old western United States on a Saturday night when shoot’em up was the norm. We would like to be seen as a civilized and cultured nation where civility and the rule of law applies.
Two, our tradional rulers all across the nation need to see the dire need to meet regularly to exchange views and promote harmony across the land. Cultural exchange programmes need to be initiated among the different ethnic groups to promote awareness and a vehicle to resolve minor issues before they escalate into bigger problems.
Third, the federal, states and local governments in consultation with the ministry of education and the appropriate pedestals, need to formulate an exchange programme among our students. Prejudice and hatred are learned. We must prevent these poisons from getting into our children. Case in point. Place toddlers 3-5 years old together from different backgrounds, be it financial, ethnic, religious or social. Those tykes would not display the ugliness we see in adults today. Psychologists and social scientists know this.
Finally, we are a nation of diversed people and culture. Why are we not promoting these very rich traditions yearly in the form of a national cultural festival? Pick a venue and rotate it yearly. It allows Nigerians to come together, celebrate our rich heritage, promote brotherhood and understanding. It also brings in foreign currency through increased tourism by showcasing the best Nigeria has to offer.
We must break this violence before it engulfs us all. It is bad enough to be dealing with an insurgency. Why create unnecessary tension that promotes suspicion among us. Hasn’t Rwanda taught us anything? Haba!