The Youth Wing of Christians Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) has criticized Christian political leaders for keeping mum while Fulani herdsmen were killing hundreds of their faithful across the country.
Describing the situation as “organized operations by the killer Fulani herdsmen,” the group urged its members to use every means available to protect themselves.
In a two-page communique issued in Yola, Adamawa State early in the week, YOWICAN rebuked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, for not doing anything to stop the killings.
The communique was issued after an emergency meeting of the North-east officials of the group.
The document, which was signed by the National President, Daniel Kadzai, reminded Christian political office holders they hold offices not on their personal merit alone, but because of the religion they profess.
“If not because we have a Muslim president, the vice president would have been a Yoruba Muslim,” the group stated.
“If not because we have a Senate president as a Muslim from the North, the speaker can’t be a Christian from a state like Bauchi where Christians were forced to have only one local government despite their population.
“So if they think it is on their personal merit and they cannot speak out against the organized killings of the Christians, they are digging the grave of their yet unborn children, because they will certainly face the evil silence of their parents in authority that they would have stopped the carnage,” the group stated.
The group drew attention to when the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar lll, openly said the killer herdsmen are foreigners.
It argued that Messrs Osinbajo and. Dogara failed to use their offices to halt the genocide of Christians by ensuring the killer Fulani herdsmen were weeded from the country
YOWICAN said the organised killings and displacements of Christians was a ploy to depopulate their faithful and the value of their votes.
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It argued that when Christians would have been reduced to nothing, the offices currently being occupied by some of its adherents will be taken over by Muslims.
“If president Muhammadu Buhari, feels that he as a Muslim to pick his running mate as a Christian, why is same president not sharing the important Security Chiefs offices between Christians and Muslims, but reserved for only Muslims,” a part of the communique reads.
“We have Army, Police, DSS, Custom, Immigration, Prisons, NSCDC, NDLEA, and Airforce all Muslims, even the NSA and defence minister.
“The recent Airforce bombing and killing over 70 Christians in Numan Local Government in Adamawa State this month without any federal government voice has confirmed our fear and complain.
“The police only arrest suspects when farmers attack herdsmen in a reprisal, but when Fulani herdsmen kill hundreds of Christians, the police cannot get a single suspect. The police will often say gunmen attack when they’re Fulani herdsmen, but farmers are arrested with knife and cutlasses. “The language used by security agents involved tells us who they are supporting, it is a naked fact.”
The group warned the country is moving towards anarchy if the Federal Government continued to give institutional support to Fulani herdsmen.
“Enough is enough. Nobody has a monopoly of killings. If the Buhari government selects those to protect, others may decide to protect themselves using the available means.
“Christians cannot be slaves forever in their fathers land in the name of religious favouritism,” the group warned.
