The Chaplain, Chapel of The Resurrection, University of Ibadan (UI), Victor Oladele, has charged President Bola Tinubu to take drastic and practical steps to stem the tide of insecurity in the country.

Oladele, who advised in a statement, titled: “Reflection on the State of Nigerian State: Ominous Signs of Repeat of Failure,” warned Tinubu against continuous repeat of failures that characterised the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The cleric, while condemning killings and insecurity in Nigeria, especially the Kaduna bombing, the Plateau massacre and the mindless killings of innocent Nigerians in the Middle Belt, warned the government against playing politics with people’s lives. He, therefore, stressed the need for the government to uphold justice to save the country from degeneration.

The chaplain said: ”The Chapel of The Resurrection, University of Ibadan, wishes to join well-meaning Nigerians in condemning the killing of innocent and defenceless individuals in some communities in Kaduna and Plateau State through the activities of the Nigerian military and Fulani militias respectively.

”The chapel is dismayed by the resurgence of brutality against defenceless Nigerians, the mindless slaughter of innocent women and children and the orgy of burning of communities in the Middle Belt by soulless entities devoid of human feelings.”

”This evil bloodletting and human sacrifice must stop. The political class must stop playing politics with the lives of Nigerians. All lives matter, no matter their ethnicity, religion, gender and social class.”

Oladele emphasised that the constitutional rights of Nigerians to safety, security and justice must be enforced without discrimination, adding that those who see violence as business and the human person as merchandise must learn that no sinner shall go unpunished.

He noted that the mainstreaming of violent ideologies had been made possible by the political class, a section of the religious establishment, and the tolerance, if not identification of the Nigerian State over the years, with violent ideologies and extremism.

The clergyman, while calling on Tinubu to desist from the path toed by his predecessor, said: ”For the eight years of Buhari’s administration, Nigeria endured bloodbath, free reign of killings by Fulani militias, open beheading by religious extremists, and public executions in the name of God.
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‘In the Nigeria of the Buhari dispensation, kidnapping for ransom became the biggest economy while the looting of the treasury became a validation of relevance. Corruption turned into a feeding frenzy. These and more were the legacy of eight years of what appears like the worst era in Nigeria’s history.

”The Nigerian government has shown itself to be negligent or complicit in the perpetuation of violence by failing to protect citizens’ lives and property, not defending the vulnerable communities; in preventing them from taking practical steps to protect themselves; in failing to act promptly on intelligence and distress calls, and in allowing terrorists to occupy forests and take-over destroyed communities.”

He added: ”The Chapel of The Resurrection calls on President Tinubu to put a halt to the mindless violence and exercise justice for the dead decisively and promptly.

”The Chapel of The Resurrection declares that nothing will work until we turn around from our wicked ways.

”President Tinubu must know that it is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. He must execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion on the vulnerable. We cannot be calling for peace and unity while the leaders waste the lives of innocent people.

”There will be no peace without justice. There will be no prosperity when the blood of the innocent is spilled. No nation can make an enduring progress without righteousness

‘We call on all peoples, Christians in particular, to pull resources, materials and capacities to rebuild the burnt communities into modern ones as a show of love and will of good over evil. The Chapel admonishes the elite of the Middle Belt to unite, show courage and restore hope and dignity to their communities. State governments should take charge of the security of their states and deploy the massive security votes at their disposal to good effect.

”The survivors of the carnage and violence from the displaced communities should not be abandoned in Internally-Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps. They should be resettled immediately into rebuilt and secure communities.”