• Seek new constitution, special probe on killings
• Katsina gov charges communities to expose terrorists’ informants

National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has linked the insecurity across the country to the activities of foreign invaders.

This was as Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, called on communities bedeviled by security challenges to complement the government’s efforts at tackling the menace by exposing terrorists’ informants in their midst.

NCEF observed that the bloodshed in the country, involving indigenous Christians, Muslim and traditionalists, proved that the indigenous ethnic nationalities have the same enemy.

The coalition of Christians also distanced itself from claims by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that President Bola Tinubu “has failed the nation”; hence, they regretted voting for him in the 2023 elections.

At a briefing in Abuja, yesterday, Chairman of the Forum, Dr Samuel Gani, noted that the perennial amendment of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly should cease for work on a new constitution.

According to him, the problem facing Nigeria is a complex one and it is evident that the country was facing an organised invasion by foreign forces masquerading as religious extremists.

The former deputy governor of Plateau State said: “In Plateau and Kaduna states, data exists that hundreds of villages of the ethnic nationalities have been taken over by foreign Fulani.

“The owners of the land have been driven into Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, while the names of the villages have been changed to Fulani names. In Plateau, over 102 villages were reportedly taken over by Fulani invaders, while in Kaduna, over 109 villages have been dislodged.

“The recent visit of Hamas terrorists to Nigeria, bearing in mind that Hamas is not the government of Palestine, neither does it represent the Palestinian people in any legislative capacity, also raises concern about the government’s commitment to fighting terrorism.  Even if the Buhari administration failed to act, what stopped the Tinubu administration from dismantling the camps of the terrorists?”

NCEF called on the indigenous Muslims in Nigeria to calmly examine the issues raised and take positions that would be in the long-term best interest of their ethnic group.

“What is going on is more than religion. That enemy is a foreign invader. The killings going on in Nigeria were not motivated by the indigenous ethnic nationalities. Unfortunately, some of the local actors were manipulated into thinking they were pursuing a religious agenda, but the puppet masters have no religious goal in view,” it added.

The forum also urged the President to implement the report of the 2014 National Conference without delay.

Noting that there should be an immediate ban on nomadic cattle rearing, the forum further called for the abolishment of the RUGA project.
RADDA said it was not possible for terrorists living outside affected communities to just storm such areas to kill, abduct persons or rustle animals, unless an informant first leaked vital information to them.

The governor was speaking during the Sallah Durbar event at the old Government House in the state metropolitan area.

He reiterated that the war against terrorism and related criminality would not be won unless the people affected come out to expose informants that live among them.

“We cannot win the war against terrorism unless we give security operatives vital information that would lead to tackling the situation, and one way to do this is to expose informants among you.

“If informants are not exposed and terrorists end up killing someone, the Almighty would not forgive you for refusing to expose informants, who gave information to them to operate in the first place,” he said.