Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, has warned against further blood-letting across the country.
He gave the warning in reaction to the killings of 73 persons in Benue state by suspected herdsmen on New Year Day.
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Vanguard reports that, IBB as he is popularly called, urged governments at all levels, religious leaders, traditional rulers and social activists to serve as a national vanguard to resolve some of the recent disturbing incidents affecting national security.
Vanguard newspaper for Monday, January 15, photo credit: Snapshot from NAIJ.com
He said “It is customary to observe the Armed Forces Day on the15th January every year to remember Officers and Men of the Nigerian Armed Forces who laid down their lives for the unity of our country.
“Let me use this opportunity to call on Nigerians to demonstrate our appreciation of the courage of these gallant fallen heroes by appreciating their contribution and providing supports for the welfare and upkeep of the families they left behind, especially their widows and children.
“At this period, where our nation is faced with myriads of challenges of terrorism, communal clashes, kidnapping, cultism and gangsterism, among other criminality, we should cooperate and support our security with relevant information and intelligence to help in tackling the problems."
Similarly, the head of the Latter Rain Church Pastor Tunde Bakare, has strongly condemned the current insecurity in the country and charged President Muhammadu Buhari to end the bloodletting and other dangers besetting the nation.
Guardian reports that Bakare in a state of the nation broadcast titled: ‘It’s Time To Renegotiate Our Union, said that although the government anchored its policy outlook on security, job creation and anti-corruption, there are signs of retrogression everywhere.
The Guardian newspaper for Monday, January 15, photo credit: Snapshot from NAIJ.com
Another cleric, Bishop David Oyedepo, has warned the federal government to halt the killing spree by herdsmen or risk the country’s disintegration.
The Nation reports that the presiding bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, otherwise known as Winners’ Chapel He likened the attacks to a time bomb and warned politicians not to “sell off the destinies of men for your ambitions”.
The Nation newspaper for Monday, January 15, photo credit: Snapshot from NAIJ.com
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Oyedepo said God revealed to him 26 years ago that this crisis would put the country “on a keg of gunpowder” if the government failed to act.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari will today, January 15, meet some leaders from Benue State over the recent killings recorded in the state.
The Punch citing a government source stated that Governor Samuel Orton was expected to lead the state delegation that would include federal and state lawmakers as well as traditional rulers to the meeting.
The Punch newspaper for Monday, January 15, photo credit: Snapshot from NAIJ.com
The source said: The urgent meeting is inevitable because of the frequency and scale of such violence and the reactions that have trailed the incidents.
“The Presidency has been embarrassed by the large scale loss of lives caused by such repeated violence against innocent people.”
“Discussions at the meeting will address the issue of the Fulani herdsmen, which is at issue but may go beyond their menace to include the issue of the arming, training and financing of militia groups by some state governments.”
Southern Kaduna killings: part 2 on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng