The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the killing of 43 rice farmers by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.
It called on the federal government to stop the unending killings by the criminals who now operate with impunity all over the country but more devastatingly in the Northeast and Northwest.
The association said these in a statement on Friday titled ‘Loss of Rice Farmers to Terrorists: A National Disaster and Shame’, and signed by Adebayo Oladeji, the Special Assistant (Media&Communications) to the CAN President, Rev Samson Ayokunle.
It said, “We are shocked, disturbed, saddened to learn that criminals suspected to be terrorists invaded the Garin Kwashebe community and murdered innocent farmers while harvesting their products.
“As usual, the number of the deceased gruesomely murdered remains disputed by the Federal Government. To us at CAN, 43 was not only frightening but inexcusable by those who should have prevented it. The massacre was wicked and completely satanic.”
CAN said that a situation where farmers were being taxed by terrorists and bandits before they were allowed to work on their farms was unacceptable and it must be stopped by the government immediately.
The Association further stated: “We are in a recession in the country, yet, criminals are still preventing farmers from going to the farm to harvest. We are not aware of any country where similar lawlessness is taking place without being adequately checked.
“We call on the security agencies to wake up from their prolonged slumber and save their image.
“The government is urged to think out of the box and take adequate steps to bring the terrorists to their knees rather than finding excuses to justify the failure of governance.
“Continuous sympathy through press statements or condolence visits after many souls have been wasted is not acceptable anymore. What we need is adequate protection of lives and property by those we have put in charge to do so”
The Christian religious body reassured everyone that it would not give up in praying for the nation and giving pieces of advice to the government.
