The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the assassination attempt on Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, charging security agencies to investigate and prosecute the masterminds.
CAN gave the charge on Monday in a statement by it’s General secretary Joseph Daramola.
TheFact Nigeria recalled that Ortom on Saturday, was ambushed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits along Tyo-MU Makurdi/Gboko road. He was allegedly attacked by over 15 gun-wielding herdsmen while inspecting his farm near Makurdi. He narrowly escaped death.
Consequently, the CAN said, “We are worried, sad, shocked, disappointed, and pained at the collapse of the security architecture of the government and the failure of those in charge to rise up to the security challenges. If a state governor is unsafe despite all the security operatives in his convoy, then who is safe?
“We welcome the Presidential directive and that of the Inspector General of Police that the investigation of the matter should be thorough and it is our hope that the matter will not be swept under the carpet. We are disappointed that the shadowy group, the Fulani Nationality Movement that claimed responsibility has not been outlawed and the herdsmen leaders who publicly threatened the Governor are still going about their businesses as if they have done nothing unusual.
” Is the government waiting till they have successfully carried out their evil and wicked enterprise? What are these people turning the country into in this century? If these murderous Fulani herdsmen are not Nigerians, as we are being told, why do our security agencies appear powerless before these criminals? Are they holding superior ammunitions? Are they waiting till everyone results to self-defense with the attendant consequences? The primary responsibility of any government is to protect the lives and property of the citizens.
“If President Muhammadu Buhari wanted his name to be written in gold, let him fix the security problems in this nation before his tenure is over.
“We challenge the Federal government to roll out the list of names of the kingpins of those murderous herdsmen, kidnappers, bandits and terrorists in the prison and Police custody and those under trials. As long as the government continues treating these criminals with kid gloves so also will they continue operating with impunity!
