Christian and traditional leaders from northern Nigeria have been urged to unite in prayer and action against the escalating insecurity in the region. Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr Paul Enenche, made the appeal at a meeting of prominent northern Nigeria traditional and Christian leaders in Abuja.
“It is only by unity that the region’s Christian leaders can speak with one voice,” the pastor said.
Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Gyang Buba, highlighted the 15-year history of attacks on communities, starting with herders feeding their animals on native farms, which has escalated into killings and land grabs.
“For over 15 years, there had been attacks on the various communities that started with herders feeding their animals on the farms of the natives and despite protests, no solution was offered and this now led to the killings being carried out in the various communities,” he said.
Former Governor Jonah Jang called the situation in the Middle Belt “dire” and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action. “Christians had experienced violence on an unprecedented scale in Nigeria, adding that the magnitude of this suffering is staggering, particularly in the Middle Belt,” he said.
Jang criticized the military for denying killings while graves increase, saying, “The military cannot continue issuing statements denying killings while the graves increase.”
The event, themed “The Blood of the Martyrs: Seed of the Church,” aimed to address the ongoing crisis of insecurity in Nigeria, which has been ignored or downplayed for too long.