Insecurity:IMC Cautions Clerics Over Unguarded Utterances,Laments Abduction Of Students

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA:The Interfaith Mediation Centre Monthly Forum with Media on Peace Journalism has cautioned Clerics to ensure that they guard their utterances not to harm the only fragile peace in the country

The forum further lamented the rising cases of insecurity in Country especially the kidnapping of secondary School children in the north

The participants charged the government to rise above board and do the needful to end the senseless killings and Attacks in the land.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting by the Forum with Media on Peace Journalism on the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP)program,the participants said

“The Fora calls on all religious leaders and other citizens across the country to always be mindful on issues that has to do with utterances on issues that can lead to violent conflicts.

The participants made this call in reaction to a recent comment credited to a renowned cleric which is now attracting mixed reactions in the public domain adding that it can trigger violent conflicts around raging banditry in Nigeria.

The group noted that the comment and reactions is still generating tension in the country, especially considering the increase in the level of insecurity in the land.

” In the Forum an overview within the month of February 2021, observed that statement that can trigger violence and disunity should be avoided in order not to endanger the lives of the citizens.”

While calling on the general public to disregard comments that can lead to violence in Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole, they also lamented over the increase rate of Kidnapping and killing of innocent people in some part of the country which has also led to increase number of widows and orphans, as well as economic hardship, in the country.

According to them, as a result of redeployment of heavy security personnel along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway, kidnappers/bandits along the rout; have now moved to the Southern part of Kaduna, terrorizing communities in the region.

Furthermore, it was observed that the menace has forcefully led to people of affected communities to migrate to other safer environment for the safety of their lives.

In this regard farmers in the affected communities, had abandoned their farmlands, this might lead to food crises and increase in malnutrition in the region and other parts of the country.

“The menace also led to massive migration of affected communities within the period to other part of the country”.

They noted if Nigerians leader lead the citizens peacefully, definitely peace will reign in the country as a whole.

While citing a wrong figures of Fulani that migrated from the southern part of the country to Ladduga community in Southern Kaduna, over the recent Quit notice which was published in some media, they urged media practiotioners in the country to ensure they cross check their facts before going to press, especially on issues that has to with security.

The participants commended the threat by some politicians especially in Northern Nigeria, directing their supporters to reserve their weapons to defend themselves ahead of the 2023 general elections, and we see this a a big threat to peace and stability of the country.

They lamented over the attacks on Secondary Schools in northern Nigeria, especially in the boarding schools, saying that the menace has significantly caused a major set back on educational development in the region. We are appealing to the States government to provide the security of the students and teachers in both public and private Institutions.

They appealed to religious leaders in the country to always preach on the need for peaceful co-existence amongst their followers, so that we will have a conducive environment for all Nigerians.