Lamenting the murder of a priest in Abuja and another pastor in Kaduna, CAN said: “Nigeria's security situation is reprehensible, unacceptable and condemnable."
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the killing of two religious leaders, describing the security situation in the country as “reprehensible”.
In a statement by Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the Special Assistant (Media and Communications) to the CAN President, Reverend Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, the association also urged security agencies to be more proactive in the performance of their duties.
According to the statement, Reverend Fr Michael Akawu, an Assistant Parish Priest at Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish, Dobi village near Gwagwalada, “was reportedly shot dead by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in Gwagwalada, Abuja, while shopping on Saturday evening”, and on Sunday, August 19, 2018, at about 1am, Nasara Baptist Church in Guguwa near Rigasa in Kaduna was attacked and Reverend Hosea Akuchi was shot dead".
His wife, Talatu Akuchi, was said kidnapped and a ransom of N5million has been demanded for her release.
CAN called on the “relevant security agencies to do whatever it takes to bring the culprits to book and rescue the widow of the late Reverend Akuchi as soon as practicable".
It also restated its call to “security agencies to be more proactive and invest more on intelligence gathering with a view to preventing many of these crimes that are being committed before their watches undetected".
The statement continued: “CAN also notes with pains and disappointment the state of insecurity in the country. Nowhere is safe and secured, as terrorists, rampaging herdsmen, killer bandits, armed robbers, kidnappers and other hoodlums are operating unchecked, while our security agencies are busy with elections, forgetting that leaders are elected to rule over the living.
“Nigeria's security situation is reprehensible, unacceptable and condemnable. We once again call on President Muhammadu Buhari to rejig the security system of the country. Let there be a visible improvement in our security system, as the governed are not satisfied with their performances in ensuring security of lives and property.
“We once again called on the Police to arrest all assailants that are responsible for these dastardly acts. We don’t need foreign countries to tell us that it is the failure to arrest these hoodlums amidst us that has emboldened them to perpetrate their atrocities. Enough of these senseless killings in the country.”