By Charles Maduka
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Daniel Okoh, has called on President Bola Tinubu to take firm action against those using religion and ethnicity as a cover to carry out violent attacks across the country.
Rev. Okoh, who was represented by CAN Vice President, Rev. Stephen Pantami, made this call in Gombe on Thursday after visiting victims of a tragic Easter Monday procession accident that claimed six lives and left 21 others injured. He visited the injured victims at the Specialist Hospital and the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe, where he also gave them financial support. He extended the same gesture to four bereaved families in Billiri Local Government Area.
During a press briefing, the CAN President asked the government to investigate the killings of innocent Nigerians and ensure those responsible are brought to justice. He stressed that terrorism must be rooted out of Nigeria and that those in power must show strong commitment by treating such crimes as purely criminal, without linking them to religion or ethnicity.
Rev. Okoh warned that some people hide under religion or ethnicity to commit serious crimes. He urged President Tinubu to direct security agencies to deal with them strictly as criminals, saying, “The danger comes when we start seeing these criminals as representing our interests. Sooner or later, their evil will turn against us too.”
He said their acts should not be excused or defended, and that the country should stop tolerating them based on religious or ethnic sentiments.
While visiting the family of late Grace David in Awai, Billiri, Rev. Okoh consoled her mother, a widow, reminding her that her daughter died in the service of God. He also visited the Lass family in Kalmai, who lost their only child, 19-year-old Faidah Fibilus. He encouraged them to stay strong and keep their trust in God.
The CAN delegation also visited families in the Golkos One and Tangji communities of Billiri to comfort them over their losses.
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