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Southern Kaduna: CAN, bishop of kafanchan diocese, condemns attack

Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna

Wednesday, April 19, 2017


Pastor Michael I. Maikarfi

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) zone three with headquarters in Kafanchan has condemned the recent attack and killing of 13 people in Asso village of Jema’a local government area of the state even as it enjoined Christians to continue to live in peace.

This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in on Tuesday and signed by the Chairman and Secretary of CAN zone 3, Venerable John Bwankwot and Pastor Michael I. Maikarfi respectively.

The statement noted "It is with heavy hearts that we now tell the world that we have again commemorated another major religious festival mourning the death of twelve of our beloved brothers and sisters that were murdered in cold blood at Asso in Jema'a Local government area of Kaduna State on April 15th, 2017."

Others are in critical health conditions following that attack. We pray for God's comfort to the families of the bereaved and divine intervention for the quick recovery of those surviving with varying degrees of bullet wounds.

According to religious body, "We are so troubled on every side that at a time when we were supposed to be celebrating the suffering, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ for the sin of mankind at Easter, we were plunged into wailing, the anguish of soul, bitter cries and burying loved ones. Innocent souls were battered, their blood spilt on the ground as they were sent to their untimely graves through unprovoked attacks by people suspected to be armed herdsmen."

"Our zone suffered similar attacks last December when Goska community and environs in Jema'a local government were attacked on the eve of Christmas and scores of people murdered with over 80 houses in the community razed down. Looking at all these happenings we are left to wonder what all these mean."

"As Christians, we are peace-loving people. We have a long tradition of peaceful coexistence which is rooted in the Bible as taught by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

"We have also continued to stress to our congregations the need for forgiveness of past wickedness done to them by these enemies of peace and progress, and the need to embrace all and live peaceably with them."

Meanwhile, the Bishop of kafanchan Diocese and Chairman, Southern kaduna Christian Elders Association, Most Revd. Joseph Danlami Bagobiri has alleged that the soldiers sent to maintain order in the area have been partisan.

In a statement issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday which he finally signed the Bishop Bagobiri remarked that "The killings continue unabatedly in fields and bushes, thereby preventing farmers from visiting and cultivating their lands."

"This is happening today as the Military and other security forces mount road blocks in towns and major roads while bushes remain un-safe for farming. In the Godogodo and Pasakori attacks in JemaĆ” Local government area for example, the military merely watched and supervised the killings and burning of homes on the pretext that their mandate did not include fighting the herdsmen."

"When the youth mobilized themselves to repel the attackers, the soldiers deliberately blocked them from entering the town. The herdsmen and their collaborators turned the towns into killing fields and killed mostly women, children and the elderly who couldn't run for cover."

"This level of viciousness was never witnessed even in the brutal tyranny and regime of Adolf Hitler. What is most intriguing is the level of sophistication of weapons; Ak 47, achine Guns and many other deadly instruments of death are being freely used by the Herdsmen, leaving wondering how these weapons got to their hands," he alleged.