The Evangelical Church Winning All on Friday expressed shock over the killing of 472 persons in three states of Benue, Kaduna, and Plateau by terrorists in one month.
In a statement issued at the end of its 70th General Church Council Meeting which lasted for five days in Jos, Plateau State, ECWA condemned the activities of the terrorists in the affected states and other parts of the country.
Describing the development as unacceptable, the church, in the statement jointly signed by its President, Rev Stephen Panya, and the General Secretary, Rev Yunusa Nmadu, urged the government and security agencies to do everything within their powers to stop the trend.
The statement read in part, “ On the insecurity in Nigeria, the council frowned at the high and frightening levels of insecurity in Nigeria through banditry, kidnappings for ransom and ritual killing, incessant killings of innocent citizens by ‘unknown gunmen’, terrorism by especially Islamic extremists, and destruction of lives and property impunity by these underserved elements who are ravaging and forcefully occupying cities and in the nation with the inability of the government at various levels to successfully tackle the menace.
“A few examples of such atrocities are the recent killing in the month of April, 2023 of 68 people in Zangon Kataf and several other communities in Southern Kaduna, killing of 30 people in Agatu LGA, 250 people in Apa LGA, 75 people in Otukpo, and 39 people in Guma LGA, making a total of 394 people in Benue State, Nigeria.
“Also (is the) killing of 10 people in Mangu and Bokkos, Plateau State, and sacking of indigenous communities in the Middle-Belt states.
“The council condemned the frequent assaults on security personnel in the line of duty by unidentified groups across the nation. Therefore, the government should improve the provision of security equipment and take adequate care of security personnel while also sieving the security outfit of bad elements and bringing the perpetrators of this heinous act to book.
“The council called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to rise to her constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property and dealing ruthlessly with those responsible for these wicked acts.”
