The local chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kano State has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to tinker with nation’s security architecture.
Its chairman Rev Samuel Adeyemo, said it was high time the President reviewed the structure in the face of the numerous security challenges in the land.
He spoke on a day the President renewed his vow to fight insecurity and other attendant challenges to a standstill.
The CAN chairman urged the President to as a matter of urgency, review the country’s security structure.
Adeyemo gave the advice in a remark at the “Pastors Solemn Assembly for the Peace and Security of the Church” in Kano held at the Believers Fellowship Baptist Church.
Adeyemo cited insurgents’ attacks in the Northeast as well as the wave of banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery on the highways in other parts of the country as basis for the appeal and the prayers.
The CAN chair specifically observed that God has been merciful to the city of Kano by shielding it from the growing wave of insecurity.
The cleric said: “The wave of kidnapping, herdsmen killings, armed robbery attacks on our highways and the insecurity in nation prompted us to call for these prayers. The Muslims and Christians must rise up and pray.
“Secondly, let the security apparatus of the nation, that is the Federal Government needs to reshuffle the security apparatus; let them review it because we have the expertise; we have the materials to restore the nation’s security.”
He noted that coming together of all the pastors in the state for a solemn prayer on security was an acknowledgement of the protection of God and a prayer for the sustenance of the peace.
The cleric, however, appreciated the efforts of Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the various security agencies for their roles, urging them to rededicate their efforts.
Speaking in Batsari, Katsina State, President Buhari assured that perpetrators of banditry and kidnapping attacks would be brought to justice.
He was on a sympathy visit to 1,050 Internally Displaced persons (IDP), selected from the affected eight frontline local government areas bordering the Ruga Forest in the state, said those kidnapping, maiming lives and calling God are not true faithful because “it is either they don’t know God or disagree with Him.”
He said: “What brought me here is to condole you over the recent bandit’s attacks affecting not only you but all of us. I have nothing to add on what the Emir had already spoken extensively about, but all what leaders should do right from home is ensure justice.
“I assure you that we sleep and wake-up with the sad moment of banditry and kidnapping activities in the state and country. By the Grace of God we will use soldiers, police and other public servants to end banditry.
“All those whose activities are to kill people and saying ‘Allahu Akbar!’ are lying, because God is not wicked. You can’t carry bomb or gun, sword or knife to go and kill innocent somebody and say ‘Allahu Akbar!’. This implies that you either don’t believe in God or you don’t know what you are saying.
“There is popular Hausa adage says ‘it’s the rat in the house that tells the rat outside that there is fish in the house’, so within yourselves, your neighbors and even your relatives there are informants.
“So in this case, both you and I don’t know them, it’s only God that knows them, we can’t do anything here rather intensity prayers for God’s intervention by exposing them.”
He urged the people to remain patient with the government and to assuring that with their collaboration with the top to bottom authorities comprising ward, village and district heads, Emirs and the governors, normalcy will be restored in the shortest possible time
The headquarters of Basari Local Government Area is regarded as the hotbed of banditry and kidnapping attacks amongst the eight front line local government areas of Katsina State.
In his opening remarks, Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari said the amnesty and offer of dialogue granted by the Northwest governors with improved security collaboration, has helped in scaling down attacks in the state
He acknowledged that the large expanse of RUGA forest offered the bandits an unfettered opportunity to unleash attacks on hapless citizens and assist them in changing locations easily whenever they are repelled by security forces.
Emir of Katsina Abdulmumin Usman warned against reprisal attacks, and called for efficient information dissemination between the people, traditional rulers and the government on security matters.
