The Christian Association of Nigeria has condemned in strong terms the brutal murder of Madam Fatima and four of her children.
The Special Assistant to the President of CAN, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, said in a statement issued on behalf of the President, His Eminence, Rev Dr Samson Ayokunle that the callous murder totally as unacceptable, reprehensible, callous and condemnable.
The Christian body called on the relevant security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of the gruesome act under the guise of ‘unknown gunmen’ are brought to justice.
The CAN leadership called on security operatives to wake up to their responsibilities to secure the society from rampaging killers who create the disturbing impression that the agencies are helpless.
The statement added that a Nigeria where people are murdered every day with ravaging insecurity cannot be the dream country out leaders fought for at independence.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned, in strong terms, the gruesome murder of Lady Fatima and her four innocent children by some “unknown gunmen” and demands for justice as it calls on security agencies to fish out those responsible for the wicked act in order to stop the senseless killings in the country.
“This criminality is totally unacceptable, unjustifiable and reprehensible to CAN and all right thinking people. We call on the security operatives to wake up to their responsibilities. The criminals are now operating with impunity while those who are expected to stop or apprehend them appear powerless.
“This cannot be the dream country of those who fought for her independence from the colonial masters.
“It is disheartening and unfortunate that nowhere is safe again in the country as killers, bandits, terrorists and kidnappers are on rampage in every nook and cranny of the country and all the government is able to do is to issue periodic statements condemning them without any decisive action to bring culprits to book.”
The body called on the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra to stop the brazen criminality in the guise of fighting for independence.
Oladeji who said that the criminality perpetrated by the separatist group was not helping the cause of its leader, the detained Nnamdi Kanu, warned them against turning the South East to a theatre of crisis.
The statement urged the political class, religious leaders, traditional rulers of the South East to prevail on those behind the mind-boggling criminality to stop it.
“CAN calls on the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOBs) to stop these criminalities in the pretext of fighting for independence. Are they fighting for a country for the dead or the living? They should know that their criminalities are not helping the case of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu. They should not turn the Southeast to a ‘No Man’s Land’ in the interest of the founding Fathers of this country who hailed from the zone. Their actions are not only giving the Ndigbo bad name but they are creating an atmosphere for Ethno-religious wars. Will a reasonable group be committing crimes like this?
“We call on the political elites, religious leaders and the traditional rulers of Ndigbo extraction to prevail on the violent groups in the Eastern part of the country to stop needless bloodshed and tension they are causing for economic prosperity and wellbeing of the region.
“CAN commiserates with all the bereaved of the senseless killings especially the immediate family of lady Fatima and the recently murdered Honourable member of Anambra State House to Assembly, Okechukwu Okoye. May God console and comfort them as He pours healing balm on their wounds in Jesus’ name.” He added