By Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto
The Middle Belt Indigenous Christian Ministers Forum (MBICMF) have raised alarm over continued killing of their members, urging the government at all levels to act decisively now as their silence must not be mistaken for weakness.
The forum in a statement signed by it’s National Chairman, Rev. John Nash, they insisted that they cannot continue to watch their people been slaughtered, abducted, and displaced without raising their collective voices against such inhuman acts.
Rev. Nash who expressed shock over the alarming escalation of killings specifically targeted at communities across the middle belt region of Nigeria, added that, they are forced to witness large scale burials across states of the region.
The statement read in part, “The Middle Belt Indigenous Christian Ministers Forum (MBICMF) wishes to bring to the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the international community, civil society organizations, and all people of conscience the alarming and escalating security challenges facing our members and communities across several states in the Middle Belt region”.
Registering their displeasure over the continued ugly development, Rev. Nash said communties in the middle belt kept witnessing
‘Mass killings resulting in large-scale burials across different states, with
worshippers being abducted during Church services and taken to unknown destinations”
Asserting how disturbed they feel about the unending incidences, Rev. Nash said, ‘Some of our members are brutally killed after being kidnapped.
Churches burned, vandalized, or completely destroyed.
Entire communities displaced and left traumatized.
What is particularly distressing is that in many cases, early warning reports were communicated to relevant security agencies before these attacks occurred”.
Querying security responses to some of the warnings, Nash sadly pointed out that rather than witnessing prompt preventive measures, security intervention often comes only after lives have been lost and properties destroyed.
He however acknowledged that though, security operatives respond to rescue efforts on few occasions, despite the inconsistency and inadequacy of such responses.
According to him, the failure of government to protect the lives and properties of it’s people often than not increases their fears, Rev. Nash affirmed that their
silence over the years has been mistaken by some as weakness.
“Let it be clearly understood: our restraint has been born out of faith, patience, and respect for lawful authority — not fear or cowardice. However, the ongoing loss of innocent lives and the destruction of places of worship can no longer be treated with indifference’.
Bearing that in mind, the (MBICMF) urged the Federal and State Governments to not only immediately strengthen security presence in vulnerable communities but so expressly direct them to act decisively on early warning intelligence and prevent attacks before they occur.
While noting that they remian commited to peace, justice and lawful engagement, MBICMF, called on all
International community and human rights organizations to pay urgent attention to the worsening humanitarian and religious freedom crisis in the Middle Belt.
They also appealed for an
independent investigations into the repeated security lapses surrounding most of the attacks, adding the world must know that they cannot continue to watch their people slaughtered, abducted, and displaced without demanding for accountability.
