Killings, constant attacks have deepened mutual distrust in Nigeria, says CAN

The incessant killings and attacks on communities across the country have deepened mutual distrust among hitherto friendly neighbours, Northern chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has said.

In a communiqué issued after a two-day peace summit in Jos, Plateau State, CAN said the attacks had polarised the people along ethno-religious lines and created ‘deep suspicion’ among residents of affected communities.

Lamenting that the violent conflicts had taken such ethnic and religious dimensions, it urged government at all levels to be proactive and quick to respond to security alerts.It said CAN had a proactive and prophetic vision for peace, saying the summit focused on multi-religious and multi-cultural realities of the country.

Reverend Danjuma Byang, who read the communiqué, said the impact of the attacks had been devastating on rural communities with most of the victims either killed or maimed.“Property worth billions of naira have also been lost to the protracted violence,” he added.

It said the attacks had led to the desecration of places of worship, adding that the psychological impact had been very massive on the victims.The participants challenged Christian leaders and the Church on the need for an in-depth understanding of the magnitude of the problem so as to come up with realistic options toward creating lasting solutions.

CAN charged governments at all levels to entrench good governance and avoid hate speeches, injustices and other negative tendencies that could create more problems for the country.The summit, with the theme: Sustainable Peace And Security In Northern Nigeria As Panacea For Development: The Role Of Christian Religious Leaders, had Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, as Guest Speaker.

However, troops of 81 Division Task Force Battalion of the Nigerian Army have killed four Boko Haram insurgents in an ambush along the Gulumba-Dikwa road in Borno state.The terrorists were neutralised, while the troops conducted fighting patrols along the Gulumba/Gana/Masa/Dikwa border axis.

Spokesman of Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement issued yesterday in Maiduguri, noted that the troops also uncovered two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) buried along the road on the Cameroonian border.

Meanwhile, Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, has said that the graduation of 90 pilots was to reposition the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for effective air power responses to Nigeria’s territorial integrity and security.

The repositioning of NAF through training was to build pilots’ capacities for “effective and efficient employment” of air power to insecurity in the country.Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said in a statement issued on Wednesday in Maiduguri, that: “Our vision was to reposition NAF into highly professional and disciplined force through capacity building initiatives for effective, efficient and timely employment of air power.”