PRELATE of Methodist Church Nigeria, His
Eminence Sunday Ola Makinde has warned that if something serious, strategic and
meaningful is not done Nigeria may just be working towards another avoidable
civil war.
Reacting to the recent coordinated bombings
of three churches in Kaduna and Zaria, the Prelate said “for how long are we
going to remain silent? Here we are begging the issue while innocent people are
dying and their loved ones are yet to get justice. Is it a crime to be a
Christian in any part of Nigeria? Every time we raise alarm and call for
action, they will say it has no religious coloration which saddens my heart the
more whenever I hear that.
“Before last Sunday’s bombings, at least
not less than 200 people have been killed in 12 separate attacks on churches or
places of Christian worship in northern Nigeria this year and al-Qaeda-linked
Islamist terror group Boko Haram has explicitly claimed responsibility for at
least 10 of them. Yet, we are scratching the matter on the surface rather than
intensify efforts and expose those behind these attacks,” Makinde stated.
Continuing, the Prelate said: “No fewer
than 40 persons were feared killed on Sunday in Kaduna and Zaria as suicide
bombers attacked three churches. And in all of these bombings and attacks on
Christians and Churches, no person has been arrested or brought to book. Where
are we going? Where is justice? This is what is encouraging this culture of
impunity which makes it difficult for one to ascertain if the Government has
the political will needed in tackling this menace headlong.
“Considering all of these, one then begins
to worry, if we ever learnt anything from the last civil war which, for me, was
avoidable if the principles of justice and fairness were upheld.”
I appeal to all Christians all over the
North and other parts of Nigeria to refrain from reprisal attacks as the battle
belongs to GOD. God will definitely fight for us as He did during the
introduction of the political Sharia in Nigeria.”
Prelate Makinde said “reports monitored
today (Wednesday) confirm that the militant Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’ await
Wal-Jihad, the Islamic sect widely known as Boko Haram, has plans to launch
further devastating attacks on Churches and Government buildings in the coming
days and weeks. The sect said it planned to make the month of June 2012 the
bloodiest month yet in its violent and bloody campaigns against those it tagged
infidels.
“The report says they are planning a
focused and bloody attack for which 300 suicide bombers have been recruited,
sent to Mauritania and Somalia for training in handling weapons, bomb making
and suicide bombing and they promise to start with Southern Kaduna and Plateau,
two states populated with Christians, in a bid to avenge the death of Muslims
who died in the reprisal attacks.
“I call on the Federal Government, to
protect the lives of innocent Nigerians, especially Christians who have been so
patient and have refrained from any form of violence. The constitution to which
they swore expects them to do so and they have a compelling duty to uphold the
Constitution to the letter,” Makinde said.
According to the cleric, “nobody is above
the law. Without bringing perpetrators and sponsors of these acts of terrorism
to book, justice cannot be seen to have been done which is a big threat for our
collective interest as Nigerians in our quest for a united Nation.”