He stated that Nigerians are gradually losing hope in the government’s ability to protect them.
PUNCH Online had reported that the Plateau State Police Command disclosed on Tuesday that 96 persons were killed and 221 houses were set ablaze during the Christmas Eve attacks by gunmen in the state.
In a Saturday statement, Bishop Kukah said killers had turned the Nigerian state and its security agencies into objects of mockery.
PUNCH Online earlier today reported that the Senate summoned the nation’s security chiefs over the recent killings in Plateau State.
Those invited include the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja; the Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar; the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi; and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
According to the statement titled “Blood and Crucifixion on the Plateau,” he said the invisible men came to the Plateau again, bearing their gifts of death and destruction.
It read partly, “They came from the deepest pit of hell, the habitat of the devils that they are. They are children of darkness, sons of Satan. They opted to extinguish and snatch the light of the joy of Christmas from thousands of people on the Plateau.
“They imagined they would ignite an orgy of blood, seduce the ordinary peace-loving people of the Plateau, and set them on a mission of mindless murder of fellow citizens in the name of retaliation. The world would then say that this was a war of religion, with Christians killing Muslims to ignite a larger war. So far, over two hundred lives are gone, and we are still counting, but what next, where next, and who next?
“Over the years, these murderers have left their footprints of blood and tears across the length and breadth of the entire northern states, indiscriminately wreaking destruction across large swaths of land and communities.
“In all this, the Nigerian state and its security agencies are blind-sided, seemingly incapable of cleaning up this Augean stable of sorrow and pain in our land.
“These killers have turned the Nigerian state and its security agencies into objects of cynicism, mockery, and mere lachrymal spectators daily accompanying funeral processions. Across the country, these funerals and the coffins are now part of our landscape.”
He further said religious leaders who have been advising their followers not to take laws into their own hands risk being swept away by the anger and frustration of our people.
It continued, “We even risk being seen as accomplices to an erring state. The Nigerian state risks becoming an undertaker in the eyes of its citizens. Our cups of sorrow are overflowing. We have shed enough tears. We may pretend that we are not at war, but truly, a war is being waged against the Nigerian state and its people. God forbid, but we could snap anytime, anywhere, and for any reason.
“By the banks of the Niger River, on the hills of the Plateau, across the lush savannah of the middle belt, we have sat down and wept. We have questions crying for answers: Who are these killers? Where are they coming from? Who is sponsoring them? What are their grouses, and against whom? What do they want? Who do they want? Who are they working for? When will it all end?
“Why are they invincible and invisible? Who is offering them cover? Why has the North become the birthplace of so much bloodletting? Why have these killings been seen as tools of negotiation with the Nigerian state by the protectors of the North? Why has our North become the incubator of all that is destructive? Boko Haram, banditry, and shades of terrorism all live in our region. Why is this so?
“These killers are not ordinary murderers. They are killers for a purpose. It is the task of the intelligence community to tell us who they are, where they live, and what their goals are. These killers are professionals; are they Nigerians, or do they have just Nigerian sponsors? Their sponsors are among us. They must be in high places. They are now embedded in the architecture of the state. President Tinubu must know that the legitimacy of his government hangs on resolving this and giving us our country back.”
He, however, commended the government for its responses to these tragedies.
“Unlike before, when no one bothered to visit the scenes, we are seeing very rapid responses from the top. This is necessary but not sufficient as a strategy. Rebuilding these communities requires more than mere physical infrastructure,” the statement added.
PUNCH Online reported that Kukah had on Christmas Day warned President Bola Tinubu that all in his power must be done to end killings in the country.
“Mr President, you have no excuses before God or the people of Nigeria. Neither God nor history will forgive you if you fail. This is our moment, our date with history. Now, all eyes and ears are on you. Our prayers for a united country are with you,” his message had read partly.
