ECWA condemns attack on Christians, alleges neglect of IDPs

• Laments govt’s inability to tackle insecurity
Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) has condemned what it described as massive and forceful takeover of ungoverned spaces by criminals and non-state actors “who obviously seem to be in control in the country because of inability of government to decisively deal with the prowling merchants of death.”

At its 68th General Church Council (GCC) meeting held at its headquarters in Jos Plateau State, ECWA specially expressed concern over attacks on Christian communities in Middle Belt, North and other parts of the country and the needless destruction of lives and property by Fulani jihadist militia and Boko Haram terrorists.

In a communiqué issued yesterday evening signed by ECWA President, Rev. Stephen Baba Panya, and General Secretary, Rev. Yunusa Sabo Nmadu, the church cautioned government against continuous politicisation of security matters in the country.

Reading the communiqué after the meeting, Panya unequivocally condemned the “systematic genocide being executed against Christian and other autochthonous communities throughout Nigeria, especially in the Middle Belt.”

“This is typically orchestrated through continuous raid on Christian farming communities with lethal weapons, often in the dead of the night. Thousands of our people have been murdered in cold blood and their lands expropriated by the marauding aggressors.

“The council notes with utmost disgust the shameful neglect of the plight and deplorable conditions of the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, especially in Middle Belt and other parts of the country.”

He called on Federal Government to “rise from its lethargic slumber and wake up to its responsibilities to its citizens and ensure return of the IDPs to their ancestral patrimonies.”

On the spontaneous agitations for secession and restructuring of Nigeria, the ECWA president said: “Council notes with disquiet the spontaneous agitations for restructuring and secession among various aggrieved nationalities of the Nigerian State, which are borne out of the perturbing systematic injustices which are rife in our polity.

“We urge the Federal Government to expeditiously set in motion necessary mechanisms for full implementation of the constitutional conference report so as to save the country from the precipice towards which it is precariously heading.”

ECWA also wants the government to set free the “prisoners of conscience such as Leah Sharibu, Grace Lukas, Alice Loksha, Lilian Gyang, Pastor Polycarp Zongo and the remaining Chibok girls.”

On the unabated kidnap of school students, the council said it was siege and frontal assault on education, raising doubts on the effectiveness of the Safe-School Initiative of government.

The church joined calls for resignation of Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami from office over his alleged link to terrorists.