The Christian Association of Nigeria has told President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate the rescue of a Pastor, Bulud Yakuru, who was abducted by Boko Haram Terrorists.
The President of CAN, Samson Ayokunle, made the appeal in a statement on Saturday, four days before the ultimatum given the pastor by the terrorists to either be bailed out or be killed.
Pastor Yakuru of EYN Church of the Brethren was abducted by the Abubakar Shekau-led faction of Boko Haram on December 24, 2020 when the terrorists attacked Pemi Village in Borno State and killed no fewer than seven people.
In the statement on Saturday, Ayokunle said: “The most recent case of kidnapping is that of about three hundred school girls in Kangere, Zamfara State. This serial incident of mass abduction of our school children and citizens is shocking beyond words and must be stopped by this government immediately. The ease with which the bandits and insurgents are carrying out their nefarious activities is totally embarrassing and a cause for concern. When will this government give the citizens of this country cause to breathe a sigh of relief with assurance that their lives and property are safe and secured?
“Mr. President, where shall we go from here? Have the criminals taken over where there is legitimate government? Though we are praying earnestly continuously, we know faith without hard work from the side of government is vain. While we are aware that you may be doing your best, your best is not the best yet going by the current negative outcomes. The bitter truth is that, no place is presently safe in this country.
“We, once again, advise that all public secondary schools – boarding or otherwise – in the Northern part of the country should be closed henceforth until the security situation improves. The Police should be directed to recruit more personnel with a view to assigning effective and well armed standby force to every secondary school in the North and other parts of the country. From all indications, it is high time the government declared a state of emergency in the security sector of the country. We also call for adequate funding, training, equipping and morale boosting of our security forces in order to enhance their performances nationwide. It seems the banditry is more dangerous than COVID-19. While individuals can protect themselves from the pandemic, the same cannot be said of the security challenges. Let the government stop every frivolous spending and focus more on ending the menace of insecurity challenges.
“May God intervene for us in this nation where human efforts have failed in Jesus’ name. Amen.”